Angular diameter is 1/2 degree
and distance is 1.5 X 10^8 km
if you want to know.
Does anyone know what formula I have to use to solve this?
2007-09-30 09:09:40 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Thanks, I'll try to solve now
2007-09-30 09:16:55 · update #1
Does 1,308,992km sound like the right answer?
2007-09-30 09:21:39 · update #2
Trigonometry...
2007-09-30 10:27:01 · answer #1 · answered by Bobby 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the angle is small (1/2 degree is small enough) then the answer is roughly:
TAN(angular diameter) * distance =diameter.
For larger angles, or just to be really exact, the more exact formula would be:
TAN(half the angular diameter) * distance * 2 = diameter.
So the two results are:
Roughly:
TAN(0.5)*1.5X 10^8 = 1,309,030
Exactly:
TAN(0.25) * 1.5X 10^8 * 2 = 1,309,005
2007-09-30 09:53:05 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are another numbers which you rather want for this: the gap from earth to sunlight; the diameter of the sunlight; and the gap from earth to moon. the apparent diameter in radians of the two is its certainly diameter, divided via the circumference of the circle based on earth on which the article lies. So, seem up the numbers, and then warmth up your calculator. (The radius of the earth is beside the point.)
2016-12-28 07:56:49 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Diameter = 2 * Distance * sin( angle / 2)
2007-09-30 09:15:25 · answer #4 · answered by morningfoxnorth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Forget the trig functions. for small angles like this you just need distance x angle (in radians). To convert degrees to radians, multiply by &pi:/180, which is approximately 1/57.3.
2007-09-30 11:39:23 · answer #5 · answered by injanier 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋