Astronomy Assignment #03: The Bright and Nearby Stars

Your Name______

Your Class Meeting Time ______

This assignment is due on Monday 21Sep and Tuesday, 22Sep

Submit this cover sheet with your assignment.

Complete the assigned problems from the text listed below and address the Instructor Assigned Topic. Mathematical problems may be hand written. Write out the problem, show your work in solving the problem and state your answer in a complete sentence. Failure to complete all three of these tasks will result in less than full credit awarded. The Instructor assigned topic must be typed.

Instructor Assigned Topic:

Compare and contrast two sets of stars in two paragraphs. Data for those sets appears on the following pages. You will need to find the average values for the numerical quantities m, M and distance. You will need to create histograms for spectral types and count giants versus dwarfs.

First paragraph: Summarize the properties of the twenty brightest stars and compare the twenty brightest stars to the Sun. Is the Sun like or unlike the brightest stars in the sky? Be detailed in your description.

Second paragraph:Summarize the properties of the twenty nearest star systems and compare them to the Sun. Is the Sun like or unlike the nearest stars in the sky? Be detailed in your description.

A blank HR diagram is attached. Plot the Sun on the HR diagram. Plot the Bright stars and Nearby Stars on the HR diagram. Use easily distinguished symbols for the Bright Stars and the Nearest Stars.

Third Paragraph: Does the Sun appear to be a common star. Comment on your feelings or the implications regarding your discovery.

The Twenty Brightest Stars
Star / Multiple Star System / Spectral Type / Luminosity Class / Apparent Magnitude, m / Absolute Magnitude, M / Distance, lyrs
Sirius / Yes / A1 / V / -1.46 / 1.4 / 8.8
Canopus / F0 / Ib/II / -0.72 / -3.1 / 98
Alpha Centauri / Yes / G2 / V / -0.01 / 4.4 / 4.3
Arcturus / K2 / III / -0.06 / -0.3 / 35.9
Vega / A0 / V / 0.04 / 0.5 / 26.1
Capella / Yes / G0 / III / 0.05 / -0.7 / 46
Rigel / Yes / B8 / Ia / 0.14 / -6.8 / 815
Procyon / Yes / F5 / IV / 0.37 / 2.6 / 11.4
Betelgeuse / M2 / Ia/Ib / 0.41 / -5.5 / 490
Achernar / B5 / V / 0.51 / -1 / 65.2
Beta Centauri / Yes / B1 / III / 0.63 / -4.1 / 295
Altair / A7 / IV / 0.77 / 2.2 / 16.6
Alpha Crucis / Yes / B1 / IV / 1.39 / -4 / 390
Aldebaran / Yes / K5 / III / 0.86 / -0.2 / 52.2
Spica / B1 / V / 0.91 / -3.6 / 260
Antares / Yes / M1 / IB / 0.92 / -4.5 / 390
Pollux / K0 / III / 1.16 / 0.8 / 39.1
Fomalhaut / Yes / A3 / V / 1.19 / 2 / 22.8
Deneb / A2 / Ia / 1.26 / -6.9 / 2,600
Beta Crucis / B0 / IV / 1.28 / -4.6 / 490
The Twenty Nearest Star Systems
Common Name / Catalog Name / Multiple Star System / Spectral Type / Luminosity Class / Apparent Magnitude, m / Absolute Magnitude, M / Distance, lyrs
Alpha Centauri A / Gl 559 A / Yes / G2 / V / 0.01 / 4.38 / 4.36
Alpha Centauri B / Gl 559 B / K0 / V / 1.34 / 5.71 / 4.40
Proxima Centauri / Gl 551 / M5.5 / V / 11.09 / 15.53 / 4.22
Barnard's Star / Gl 699 / M4.0 / V / 9.53 / 13.22 / 5.96
Wolf 359 / Gl 406 / M6.0 / V / 13.44 / 16.55 / 7.78
Lalande 21185 / Gl 411 / M2.0 / V / 7.47 / 10.44 / 8.29
Sirius / Gl 244 A / Yes / A1 / V / -1.43 / 1.47 / 8.58
Sirius B / Gl 244 B / White Dwarf / V / 8.44 / 11.34 / 8.58
Gl 65 A / Yes / M5.5 / V / 12.54 / 15.4 / 8.72
UV Ceti / Gl 65 B / M6.0 / V / 12.99 / 15.85 / 8.72
Ross 154 / Gl 729 / M3.5 / V / 10.43 / 13.07 / 9.68
Ross 248 / Gl 905 / M5.5 / V / 12.29 / 14.79 / 10.32
epsilon Eridani / Gl 144 / K2 / V / 3.73 / 6.19 / 10.52
Lacaille 9352 / Gl 887 / M1.5 / V / 7.34 / 9.75 / 10.74
Ross 128 / Gl 447 / M4.0 / V / 11.13 / 13.51 / 10.91
EZ Aquarii / Gl 866 A / Yes / M5.0 / V / 13.33 / 15.64 / 11.26
Gl 866 B / ---- / -- / 13.27 / 15.58 / 11.26
Gl 866 C / ---- / -- / 14.03 / 16.34 / 11.26
Procyon / Gl 280 A / Yes / F5 I / IV / 0.38 / 2.66 / 11.40
Gl 280 B / White Dwarf / 10.7 / 12.98 / 11.40
61 Cygni / Gl 820 A / Yes / K5.0 / V / 5.21 / 7.49 / 11.40
Gl 820 B / K7.0 / V / 6.03 / 8.31 / 11.40
Gl 725 A / Yes / M3.0 / V / 8.9 / 11.16 / 11.52
Gl 725 B / M3.5 / V / 9.69 / 11.95 / 11.52
Gl 15 A / Yes / M1.5 / V / 8.08 / 10.32 / 11.62
Gl 15 B / M3.5 / V / 11.06 / 13.3 / 11.62
epsilon Indi / Gl 845 / K5 / Ve / 4.69 / 6.89 / 11.82
DX Cancri / GJ 1111 / M6.5 / V / 14.78 / 16.98 / 11.82
tau Ceti / Gl 71 / G8 / Vp / 3.49 / 5.68 / 11.88
RECONS 1 / GJ 1061 / M5.5 / V / 13.03 / 15.21 / 11.92

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