ancient image - Perseus
b) Sketch a typical light curve for a binary that involves a large dim star and a smaller bright star.
c) The name Algol means "demon's eye". Suggest why this name was chosen.
Cepheid Variables and other Light Curves.
A Cepheid variable is a "standard candle". This is an object of known luminosity (i.e. we know M)
a) If we know M and m (how bright it appears) what can we calculate?
b) Why does this make Cepheid variables and other standard candles very useful to astronomers?
c) Sketch a typical light curve for a Cepheid variable. Include some units on the x axis.
d) Sketch how this graph would be different for a bigger, brighter Cepheid variable.
Algol in Perseus is a binary system.
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a) What is the difference between a true binary and an optical binary? b) Sketch a typical light curve for a binary that involves a large dim star and a smaller bright star. c) The name Algol means "demon's eye". Suggest why this name was chosen. |
About 300 years ago a supernova was observed in Cassiopeia. Here is a picture of what we can see now.
 NASA |
a) How far away from us was this supernova? b) Sketch a typical light curve for a supernova. |