The Tully-Fisher relationship can be used to measure the luminosity of (and thus the distance to)
A) elliptical galaxies.
B) spiral galaxies.
C) globular clusters.
D) Type II supernovae.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Tully-Fisher relationship is a correlation between the luminosity of a spiral galaxy and its rotational velocity. It is used to estimate the distance to spiral galaxies by comparing their observed brightness with the expected brightness given their rotation speed. This method is not applicable to elliptical galaxies, globular clusters, or Type II supernovae, as their luminosities do not correlate with rotational velocity in the same way.

The Tully-Fisher Relationship Can Be Used to Measure the Luminosity