Spectroscopic parallax is the
A) apparent change in position of the absorption lines in a star's spectrum due to the Doppler shift,caused by Earth's motion around the Sun.
B) apparent change in position of a nearby star compared to distant background stars,due to the motion of Earth around the Sun.
C) change in position of the absorption lines in a star's spectrum due to the Doppler shift,caused by the star's motion around the center of mass in a binary star system.
D) distance to a star measured using the spectral luminosity class of the star and the inverse-square law.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Spectroscopic parallax uses the spectral luminosity class of a star (based on its temperature and spectral features) to estimate its absolute magnitude, and then the inverse-square law is applied to determine its distance from Earth. It is a method for measuring distances to stars without directly observing their motions, positions, or apparent sizes.

Spectroscopic Parallax Is the