- #1
nmsurobert
- 288
- 36
I'm setting up a lab for my astro students relating to parallax. We will be using some pretty simple tools. Measuring tape and a protractor with a straw fastened to it. I know that calculating distances with tools like these work in the classroom but what if I wanted to calculate the distances of something that was several miles away. Like, a mountain peak. Would this still work?
I haven't attempted to do it myself. I thought I would ask before I went through the trouble of trying to set this up only find out that it doesn't work out or that I'm missing something. I know that the baseline has to be wider. For something across the room, a baseline of 9 ft will do. But I imagine that wouldn't work for something that is ten miles away. The angle would be too narrow. Is there ratio that exists for how wide a base line should be for a certain distance? Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks!
I haven't attempted to do it myself. I thought I would ask before I went through the trouble of trying to set this up only find out that it doesn't work out or that I'm missing something. I know that the baseline has to be wider. For something across the room, a baseline of 9 ft will do. But I imagine that wouldn't work for something that is ten miles away. The angle would be too narrow. Is there ratio that exists for how wide a base line should be for a certain distance? Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks!