Photometric parallax: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Astronomy technique}}

{{wikinews|Huge star cluster discovered in neighbourhood of Milky Way}}

The '''photometric parallax method''' is a method of data analysis used in [[astronomy]] that uses the colours and apparent brightnesses of stars to infer their distances. It was used by the [[Sloan Digital Sky Survey]] to discover the [[Virgo super star cluster]].

The '''photometricPhotometric parallax method''' is a methodmeans ofto datainfer analysisthe useddistances inof [[astronomystar]]s thatusing uses thetheir colours and apparent brightnesses of stars to infer their distances. It was used by the [[Sloan Digital Sky Survey]] to discover the [[Virgo super star cluster]].

Unlike the [[stellar parallax]] method, photometric parallax can be used to estimate the distances of stars over 10 kpc away, at the expense of much more limited accuracy for individual measurements. Strictly speaking, it does not actually employ any measurements of parallax and can be considered a misnomer.

Assuming that a star is on the main sequence, the star's [[absolute magnitude]] can be determined based on its color. Once the absolute and [[apparent magnitudesmagnitude]]s are known, the distance to the star can be determined by using the [[distance modulus]]. It does not actually employ any measurements of [[parallax]] and can be considered a misnomer.

Unlike the [[stellar parallax]] method, the photometric parallax method can be used to estimate the distances of stars over 10 kpc away, at the expense of much more limited accuracy for individual measurements. Strictly speaking, it does not actually employ any measurements of parallax and can be considered a misnomer.

==See also==

*[[Parallax in astronomy]]

*[[Spectroscopic parallax]]

*[[Dynamical parallax]]

== References ==

* {{cite journal |author=Mario Juric |display-authors=etal |title=The Milky Way Tomography with SDSS |dateyear=20052008 |doi=10.1086/523619 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |volume=673 |issue=2 |pages=864–914 |arxiv=astro-ph/0510520|bibcode=2008ApJ...673..864J |s2cid=11935446 }}

[[Category:Astrometry]]

{{astronomy-stub}}