What is the relationship between stellar parallax (p)measured in seconds of arc and distance (d)measured in parsecs?
A) d = 2p
B) d = p
C) 1/d = 2p
D) p = 1/d

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The relationship between stellar parallax (p) and distance (d) is given by the formula p = 1/d. This means that as the parallax angle increases (i.e., the star appears to shift position more as the Earth orbits the sun), the distance to the star decreases. The distance is measured in parsecs, so the unit of measurement corresponds to the reciprocal of the parallax angle (i.e., the angle in seconds of arc). Therefore, the correct answer is D: p = 1/d.

What Is the Relationship Between Stellar Parallax (P)measured in Seconds