The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arcseconds,while the star Ross 652 has a parallax of 1.70 arcseconds.What can you correctly conclude?
A) Both stars are outside the Milky Way galaxy.
B) Wolf 1061 must have a larger proper motion than Ross 652.
C) Ross 652 must have a larger proper motion than Wolf 1061.
D) Ross 652 is closer to Earth than Wolf 1061.
E) Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Parallax is the apparent shift in position of a nearby star against the background of distant stars, as seen from Earth due to the Earth's motion around the Sun. The closer the star, the larger the parallax angle. Thus, a larger parallax corresponds to a closer distance. Wolf 1061 has a larger parallax of 2.34 arcseconds, indicating that it is closer to Earth than Ross 652, which has a parallax of 1.70 arcseconds. Therefore, the correct choice is E: Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652.

The Star Wolf 1061 Has a Parallax of 2