Astronauts on the Moon look back at Earth, a distance of about 400,000 km. If the cities of Washington, D.C., and New York are separated by about 300 km, what will the angle between them be when viewed from the Moon?
A) 1.3°
B) 1300°
C) 2.5°
D) 2.5 arcminutes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The angle can be estimated using the small angle formula, which is angle = (size/distance) * (180/pi), where size is the distance between the two cities (300 km), and distance is the distance from the Moon to Earth (400,000 km). Converting the angle to degrees and then to arcminutes (since 1 degree = 60 arcminutes), the result is approximately 2.5 arcminutes.

Astronauts on the Moon Look Back at Earth, a Distance