Author Question: What is Olbers' paradox, and what is its resolution? What will be an ideal ... (Read 41 times)

jayhills49

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 559
What is Olbers' paradox, and what is its resolution?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

You have observed the wobble in the velocity curves of two otherwise identical stars. Star A has a period of 6 months and Star B has a period of 1 year. What can you say about these stars?
 
  A) It is impossible to say anything about the planets orbiting these stars.
  B) Star B must have a planet like Earth.
  C) Star A's planet must be closer than Star B's planet.
  D) Star A's planet is more massive than Star B's planet.



SomethingSomething

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 323
Answer to Question 1

If the universe were infinite and unchanging, the night sky should be as bright as the Sun because every line of sight should eventually end up looking at the surface of a star somewhere, and the total of all this light would make for a uniformly bright sky. Yet clearly it becomes dark when the Sun sets and that is the paradox. The resolution to this is for the universe to be either finite or changing. In particular, if the universe had a beginning, we would only be able to see a finite number of starsthose that lie within our cosmological horizonand thus we can have a dark night sky.

Answer to Question 2

C



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

In women, pharmacodynamic differences include increased sensitivity to (and increased effectiveness of) beta-blockers, opioids, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and typical antipsychotics.

Did you know?

Human kidneys will clean about 1 million gallons of blood in an average lifetime.

Did you know?

Persons who overdose with cardiac glycosides have a better chance of overall survival if they can survive the first 24 hours after the overdose.

Did you know?

Most fungi that pathogenically affect humans live in soil. If a person is not healthy, has an open wound, or is immunocompromised, a fungal infection can be very aggressive.

Did you know?

One way to reduce acid reflux is to lose two or three pounds. Most people lose weight in the belly area first when they increase exercise, meaning that heartburn can be reduced quickly by this method.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library