Teachers Notes Booklet 3

Teachers Notes Booklet 3: Stellar Distances
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The European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) was formed on 31 May 1975. It currently has 17 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & United Kingdom. The ESA Science Programme currently contains the following active missions: Venus Express an exploration of our sister planet. Rosetta first mission to fly alongside and land on a comet Double Star joint mission with the Chinese to study the effect of the Sun on the Earths environment SMART-1 Europes first mission to the Moon, which will test solar-electric propulsion in flight, a key technology for future deep-space missions Mars Express - Europe's first mission to Mars consisting of an orbital platform searching for water and life on the planet INTEGRAL first space observatory to simultaneously observe celestial objects in gamma rays, X-rays and visible light Details on all these missions and others can be found at - http://sci.esa.int. Prepared by Anne Brumfitt Content Advisor Chris Lawton Science Editor, Content Advisor, Web Integration & Booklet Design Karen O'Flaherty Science Editor & Content Advisor Jo Turner Content Writer 2005 European Space Agency Teachers Notes Booklet 3: Stellar Distances Page 2 of 27 Cluster a four spacecraft mission to investigate interactions between the Sun and the Earth's magnetosphere XMM-Newton an X-ray telescope helping to solve cosmic mysteries Cassini-Huygens a joint ESA/NASA mission to investigate Saturn and its moon Titan, with ESA's Huygens probe SOHO new views of the Sun's atmosphere and interior Hubble Space Telescope world's most important and successful orbital observatory Ulysses Sun the first spacecraft to investigate the polar regions around the
Booklet 3 Stellar Distances

Contents
3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 Introduction .................................................................. 4 The Parsec .................................................................... 5 Stellar Parallax .............................................................. 6 Distance Using parallax................................................... 8 Apparent and Absolute Magnitude .................................. 10 Luminosity from Stellar Spectra ..................................... 12 Cepheid Variables ........................................................ 14 Cepheids as Standard Candles ....................................... 17 Examples.................................................................... 18 Cepheid Variables from Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues ... 20 Other Materials............................................................ 26
Tables
3.1 3.2 1.3 1.4 Distance to Astronomical Objects ..................................... 5 Apparent and Absolute Magnitude for 10 Brightest Stars ... 11 Dates of Primary Meteor Showers..................................... 9 Brightest Open and Globular Star Clusters ....................... 13
Figures
3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Measurement of Parallax ................................................. 6 Starburst Cluster NGC 3603 ............................................ 8 Orion Constellation......................................................... 8 Apparent Magnitude and Observational Limits .................. 10 Recreated Stellar Spectra.............................................. 12 Variation in Star Size and Luminosity with Time ............... 14 The Lightcurve for Classic Cepheid SV Vul ....................... 15 The Lightcurve for Classic Cepheid Su Cas ....................... 15 Period-Luminosity Relationship for Cepheids .................... 17
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3.1 Introduction
On a clear, dark night we may be able to see a few thousand stars in the sky, a tiny proportion of the billions of stars that are thought to exist in the Milky Way alone. Although the stars we see with the naked eye look similar in size, they vary enormously in their distance from the Earth. Furthermore, how bright a star appears is ultimately no indication as to how close it is to us. Astronomers use many different ways to determine just how far away a star is. Almost all are based on parallax.
Parallax
If you hold one finger at arm's length in front of your face and close each eye in turn, you will see that the finger appears to move compared to distant objects behind it. This apparent movement is known as parallax. Astronomers use this effect to measure the distance to stars by determining the angle between the lines of sight of a star from two different positions of the observer.
ESA's Hipparcos Mission

Launched in 1989 the ESA Hipparcos mission used the parallax method to observe positions of stars within the galaxy. As a result of the mission two catalogues of observations were produced: The Hipparcos Catalogue - 120 000 stars to a precision 200 times better than any previous observations. The Tycho Catalogue - detailed distribution and data map of a further 1.2 million stars.
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3.2 The Parsec

Since stars are distant, the parallax angle is very small and is usually measured in arc seconds (fractions of a degree) rather than degrees. The term parsec is derived from: The distance at which an object has a parallax of one arcsecond An arcsecond is equivalent to 1/3600 of a degree, that is an angle of one second of arc (") is equal to one sixtieth of one minute of arc ('), and one minute of arc equals one sixtieth of a degree. 1 parsec = 3.26 light years = 3.09 x 1013 km = 206 265 AU Object Moon Sun Saturn Proxima Centauri Pleiades Cluster LMC/SMC Andromeda km 3.84 x10
5
AU 2.57 x10 1.00 9.54 2.85 x10

7 -3
Light Time 1.28

[1]
Parsec 1.25 x10-8 4.85 x10-6 4.63 x10-5 1.294 1.38 x102 4.23 x103 7.05 x105
1.50 x108 1.48 x109 4.26 x10

15
499[1] 79.33[2] 4.22[3] 450

[3]
3.99 x1013 2.67 x105 1.31 x1017 8.73 x108 2.18 x1019 1.45 x1011
13 803[3] 2 300 000[3]
Table 3.1: Distances to various astronomical objects in different units. It is clear from this table why different units are used for defining distances to different objects. Table notes: Light Time is the distance as measured if travelling at the speed of light: [1] [2] [3] Light Seconds Light Minutes Light Years
Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Sun The Pleiades Cluster is a nearby open cluster of stars also known as the Seven Sisters The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are small satellite galaxies of own galaxy visible from the southern hemisphere Andromeda is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way
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3.3 Stellar Parallax

To determine the distance to a star, astronomers measure the apparent change in its position over one year. As the Earth orbits the Sun during this period, the observer (taking measurements at the opposite sides of the Earth's orbit) notices an apparent movement of the star compared to more distant stars. The closer a star is to the Earth the greater the observed parallax.
Figure 3.1: Astronomers measure the apparent shift in the star's position at different times of the year. As in the diagram, the lines of sight and the line connecting the observer's position form a triangle, with the star at the apex. The parallax of the star is equal to the angular radius of the Earth's orbit as seen from the star. The distance d to the star (measured in parsecs) is equal to the reciprocal of the parallax angle p (in arc-seconds): d(parsec) = 1/ p(arcsecond) [3.1]
Limits on Parallax
The greater the distance to the star, the wider the baseline required for obtaining a discernible parallax. The baseline for observations from the Earth is limited to our planet's orbit around the Sun. Parallax angles smaller than about 0.01 arcsecond are very difficult to measure accurately from Earth, therefore stellar distances for stars further than around 100 parsecs cannot be measured from Earth.
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However, ESA's Hipparcos satellite, unrestricted by the Earth's orbit or its atmosphere, spent three and a half years measuring star positions with unprecedented accuracy. Hipparcos allowed astronomers to measure the parallaxes of 120 000 stars, up to 500 light years (about 150 parsecs) from the Sun. Another experiment on the Hipparcos satellite, called Tycho, measured parallaxes for more than 1 million stars in the Galaxy, although to lesser accuracy.
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3.4 Distance Using Parallax
Figure 3.2: Starburst cluster NGC 3603 (ESO) To the eye all the stars look like they are at the same distance, but some are closer and others further away.
Figure 3.3: The stars in the constellation of Orion all look like they are at the same distance. Turn the constellation through 90 and the stars are actually at different distances.
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Calculating Distance from Parallax

Consider the star Canis Major, also known as Sirius, the brightest star on the night sky. Sirius has a parallax on 0.37921 arcseconds. To calculate the distance, in terms of light-years, we use Equation 3.1 introduced earlier: d(parsec) = 1/p (arcsecond) Distance = 1/0.37921 = 2.637 parsecs To convert from parsecs into light years this result must be multiplied by 3.26. Distance to Canis Major = 2.637 x 3.26 = 8.6 light years
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3.5 Apparent and Absolute Magnitude

Some stars appear very bright but are actually fainter stars that lie closer to us. Similarly, we can see stars that appear to be faint, but are intrinsically very bright ones lying far away from Earth. The Greek astronomer Hipparchus was the first to categorise stars visible to the naked eye according to their brightness. Around 120 BC, he invented six different brightness classes, called magnitudes, where the brightest stars were magnitude 1 and the faintest were categorised as magnitude 6. Today, astronomers use a revised version of Hipparchus's magnitude scheme called 'apparent magnitudes', as well as 'absolute magnitudes' to compare different stars.
Apparent Magnitude
The power radiated by a star is known as its luminosity. However, the apparent magnitude, m, is the power received by an observer on Earth. We can now see very faint stars using telescopes, so the scale extends beyond the magnitude 6 that Hipparchus marked down as the faintest on his scale.
Figure 3.4: Apparent magnitude scale and observational limits As you can see, the magnitude numbers are bigger for faint stars, and magnitudes are negative for very bright stars. Since the scale is logarithmic, a magnitude 1 star is 100
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times brighter than a magnitude 6 star that is the difference between each step on the scale is equal to a decrease in brightness of 2.512 and (2.512)5 = 100.
Absolute Magnitude
Comparing apparent magnitudes is a useful reference for astronomers, and these often appear next to stars on star maps. Apparent magnitude, however, does not tell us about the intrinsic properties of the star, so it is necessary to use the concept of absolute magnitude. The absolute magnitude, M, of a star is defined as what the apparent magnitude of that star would be if it were placed exactly 10 parsecs away from the Sun. Most stars are much further away than this, so the absolute magnitude of stars is usually brighter than their apparent magnitudes. To calculate the absolute magnitude for stars, we use the following equation: M = m - 5 log (D/10) [3.2]
The value m-M is known as the distance modulus and can be used to determine the distance to an object, often using the following equivalent form of the equation: D = 10
(m-M+5)/5
[3.3]
Star (Bayer Name) Canis Majoris Carinae Botis 1 Cenaturi Lyrae Aurigae Orionis Canis Minoris Orionis Eriadani
Star Parallax Apparent (Proper Name) (arcseconds) mag. (m) Sirius Canopus Arcturus Rigel Kent Vega Capella Rigel Procyon Betelgeuse Achernar 0.37921 0.01043 0.08885 0.74212 0.12893 0.07729 0.00422 0.28593 0.00763 0.02268 -1.44 -0.62 -0.05 -0.01 0.03 0.08 0.18 0.40 0.45 0.45
Absolute mag. (M) 1.45 -5.53 -0.31 4.34 0.58 -0.48 -6.69 2.68 -5.14 -2.77
Table 3.2: Apparent and absolute magnitudes for the ten brightest stars on the night sky
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3.6 Luminosity from Stellar Spectra

Scientists use spectroscopic parallax to estimate the luminosity of a star from its spectrum (the different wavelengths shown as a band of colours when a spectrograph splits the light from a star into its electromagnetic waves). Be careful not to confuse spectroscopic parallax with the parallax we have been discussing earlier. Scientists use spectroscopic parallax to measure the distance to stars, by assuming that spectra from distant stars of a given type are the same as those from nearby stars of the same type. They use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, which gives a place to each star according to the point it has reached in its lifecycle. This method enables scientists to estimate the luminosity of a star that is far away by comparing its spectrum to those of nearer stars.
Figure 3.5: Recreated stellar spectra by class (from top to bottom): O, B, A, F, G, K, M
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Distances derived from Apparent Brightness and Luminosity

Once the luminosity of a star has been estimated, its distance can be determined by using its apparent brightness. To do this, we use the inverse square law, which states that a star's apparent brightness decreases by the square of its distance. For instance, if you take two stars of the same luminosity, they will differ in brightness by four times if one star is twice as far away as the other. To determine distance, we use the following equation:
Apparent Brightness =
Luminosity 4 Distance2
[3.3]
b=
L 4 d2
[3.4]
Since the Sun is our nearest star, it is usually taken as the reference star. By comparing another star's luminosity and apparent brightness to that of the Sun, using this formula, it is possible to determine its distance:
L Star d2 Sunb Star = 2 L Sun dStarb Sun

L Star d2 Star = L Sun b Sun b Star 2 dSun
[3.5]
[3.6]
Limits on Spectroscopic Parallax

Spectroscopic parallax is only accurate enough to measure stellar distances out to about 10 Mpc. This is because a star has to be sufficiently bright to be able to measure the spectrum, which can be obscured by matter between the star and the observer. Even once the spectrum is measured and the star is classified according to its spectral type there can still be uncertainty in determining its luminosity, and this uncertainty increases as the stellar distance increases. This is because one spectral type can correspond to different types of stars and these will have different luminosities.
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3.7 Cepheid Variables

Cepheid variables are very luminous stars that pulsate in a regular cycle, with rapid brightening followed by gradual dimming. They are named after the star delta Cephei, a naked eye star, which was the first of this type to be identified. Cepheids are relatively rare, but their unique properties enable scientists to measure the distance to stars in galaxies more than 10 Mpc away. Since it is very difficult to tell the difference between a light source that is far away and a dimmer source that is nearer to us, measuring the distance to other galaxies is one of the greatest challenges facing astronomers. Cepheid variables are a fantastic tool to help them.
Light Curves
The outer layers of a Cepheid variable star pulsate in a manner that is predictable. The outer layers of the star periodically expanding and contracting cause this pulsation.
Figure 3.6: Variation in star size and luminosity over time Observations of Cepheids with well-known distances showed that a well-defined correlation exists between the average luminosity of a Cepheid star and its pulsation period. If a pulsating star, therefore, is detected in a distant galaxy, and it is identified as a Cepheid from its period and its spectral characteristics, its apparent brightness and its pulsation period can be used to determine its distance, which can also be defined as the distance to the cluster or galaxy in which it is found. Astronomers, therefore, have used the period-luminosity relationship to determine distances to galaxies.
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Figure 3.7: Lightcurve for a classic Cepheid (SV Vul) - period of 44.96 days
Figure 3.8: Lightcurve for a classic Cepheid (SU Cas) - 1.949 days You can find the light curves for these and other Cepheids on the Hipparcos web pages at: http://www.rssd.esa.int/hipparcos/EpochPhot.html
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Period - Magnitude Relationship

To determine the average absolute magnitude for Cepheids, the following equation is used: M = -2.78 log (P) - 1.35 [3.7]
Where M is the absolute magnitude of the star and P is the period measured in days.
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3.8 Cepheids as Standard Candles

When we observe another galaxy, we can assume that all its stars are around the same distance from the Earth. A source of known luminosity in that galaxy enables us to make comparisons with all the other stars in the galaxy to determine their luminosity. Cepheid variable stars, which are thousands of times more luminous than the Sun, provide us with such a benchmark, known in astronomy as a "standard candle". By observing the period of any Cepheid, you can deduce its absolute brightness. Then, using an observation of its apparent brightness, the distance to it can be calculated. Henrietta Leavitt first discovered the period-luminosity relationship of Cepheids in 1912 for Cepheids in the nearby galaxy called the Small Magellanic Cloud.
Distance to Cepheids
It is possible to estimate the distance to a Cepheid in a far-off galaxy as follows: firstly, locate the Cepheid variable in the galaxy, then measure the variation in its brightness over a given period of time. From this you can calculate its period of variability. You can then use the luminosity-period graph (below) to estimate the average luminosity. Finally, armed with the average luminosity, the average brightness and using the inverse square law, you can estimate the distance to the star.
Figure 9: Period-luminosity relationship for Cepheids Teachers Notes Booklet 3: Stellar Distances Page 17 of 27
3.9 Examples
Spectroscopic Parallax
1 - Spica Apparent magnitude, m = 0.98 Spectral type is B1 From H-R diagram this indicates an absolute magnitude, M, in the range: -3.2 to -5.0 Using equation 3.2 we derive: D = 10
(m-M+5)/5
M= -3.2, D = 10 M= -5.0, D = 10
(0.98 - (-3.2) +5)/5 (0.98 - (-5.0) +5)/5
= 68.54 pc = 157.05 pc
The Hipparcos measurements give d = 80.38 pc 2 - Tau Ceti Apparent magnitude, m = 3.49 Spectral type is G2 From H-R diagram this indicates an absolute magnitude, M, in the range: +5.0 to +6.5 Using equation 3.2 we derive: D = 10
(m-M+5)/5
M= +5.0, D = 10 (3.49 -5.0 +5)/5 = 5.00 pc M= +6.5, D = 10 (3.49 -6.5 +5)/5 = 2.50 pc The Hipparcos measurements give d = 3.64 pc
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Period-Luminosity Relationship
Consider the star W Geminorum: Period of Oscillation = 7.9153 days Using equation 3.7 this gives: Magnitude (M) = -2.78 x log (7.9153) 1.35 = -3.848 Apparent magnitude (max) = 6.725 Apparent magnitude (min) = 7.585 Average apparent magnitude (m) = 7.155 Using Equation 3.2 this gives: D = 10
(m-M+5)/5
D = 10
7.155- (-3.848) 5
+5

= 10
3.20
= 1587 pc
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3.10 Cepheid Variable Stars from the Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues
Guidelines
The following table contains data from the Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues. The data gives the magnitudes and periods for all the Cepheids contained in the catalogue. The data can be used as outlined earlier and plotted on the blank graph to enable students to derive the values for the period luminosity relationship.
DataTables
This table contains some data extracted from The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues. These catalogues are the scientific product of the European Space Agency's Hipparcos mission. For more information about the Hipparcos mission visit the web pages at http://sci.esa.int/hipparcos. Hipparcos data is available in plain ASCII format, thus no specialist software is required to start using it. The data for all 118218 Hipparcos stars is available to download from the web (see http://www.rssd.esa.int/Hipparcos/research.html). Lightcurves for all of these Cepheid variable stars can be created using the Hipparcos Epoch Photometry Search facility at: http://www.rssd.esa.int/hipparcos/EpochPhot.html To use this tool you need only know the HIP number given in column B above.
Notes on Table
Variable star name: this is the name commonly used by scientists. HIP number: this is the identifying number of this star in the Hipparcos catalogue. Vmax: this is the magnitude at maximum luminosity as measured by Hipparcos. Vmin: this is the magnitude at minimum luminosity as measured by Hipparcos. Period: this is the period of variability, in days, measured by Hipparcos.
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Star FM_Cas SY_Cas DL_Cas XY_Cas VW_Cas UZ_Cas BP_Cas V636_Cas RW_Cas BY_Cas VV_Cas VX_Per UX_Per V440_Per SZ_Cas alf_UMi DF_Cas SU_Cas RW_Cam RX_Cam SX_Per AS_Per SZ_Tau AW_Per SV_Per AN_Aur RX_Aur CK_Cam BK_Aur SY_Aur YZ_Aur Y_Aur
HIP No. 1162 1213 2347 3886 5138 5658 5846 7192 7548 8312 8614 9928 10332 11174 11420 11767 12817 13367 18260 19057 19978 20202 21517 22275 22445 23210 23360 23768 24105 24281 24500 25642
Vmax 8.968 9.592 8.815 9.811 10.556 11.066 10.678 7.237 8.708 10.355 10.440 9.195 11.060 6.367 9.726 2.093 10.697 5.879 8.343 7.456 10.888 9.355 6.495 7.228 8.705 10.262 7.470 7.345 9.305 8.866 10.039 9.293
Vmin 9.594 10.409 9.401 10.413 11.274 11.910 11.445 7.411 9.977 10.738 11.358 9.810 12.180 6.468 10.120 2.124 11.306 6.299 9.187 8.204 11.704 10.234 6.856 8.017 9.520 10.929 8.133 7.960 9.976 9.530 10.877 10.162
Period (D) 5.810 4.072 8.001 4.502 5.994 4.260 6.272 8.376 14.787 3.222 6.207 10.887 4.566 7.573 13.636 3.971 3.833 1.949 16.408 7.912 4.290 4.972 3.149 6.465 11.116 10.293 11.626 3.295 8.003 10.145 18.197 3.860
Star bet_Dor ST_Tau EU_Tau RZ_Gem AA_Gem CS_Ori SV_Mon RS_Ori T_Mon RT_Aur DX_Gem BB_Gem W_Gem CV_Mon BE_Mon AD_Gem V508_Mon TX_Mon EK_Mon TZ_Mon AC_Mon V526_Mon zet_Gem V465_Mon TV_CMa RW_CMa RY_CMa RZ_CMa TW_CMa SS_CMa VZ_CMa VW_Pup Page 21 of 27
HIP No. 26069 27119 27183 28625 28945 29022 30219 30286 30541 30827 31306 31361 31404 31624 31905 32180 32516 32854 33014 33520 33791 33874 34088 34421 34527 34895 35212 35665 35708 36088 36125 36617
Vmax 3.563 7.904 8.050 9.624 9.511 10.881 8.066 8.222 5.803 5.066 10.698 11.016 6.725 10.005 10.395 9.637 10.409 10.850 10.910 10.612 9.891 8.576 3.782 10.321 10.324 10.951 7.858 9.518 9.418 9.535 9.330 11.161
Vmin 4.244 8.701 8.398 10.560 10.141 11.924 8.960 9.031 6.737 5.939 11.127 12.132 7.585 10.639 10.993 10.281 10.861 11.499 11.465 11.383 10.619 8.898 4.328 10.716 11.117 11.612 8.606 10.120 10.095 10.496 9.748 11.978
Period (D) 9.842 4.035 2.102 5.529 11.305 3.889 15.241 7.571 27.029 3.728 3.138 2.308 7.915 5.376 2.706 3.789 4.134 8.704 3.957 7.428 8.013 2.675 10.151 2.714 4.670 5.730 4.678 4.255 6.995 12.356 3.126 4.286
Star X_Pup MY_Pup VZ_Pup EK_Pup WW_Pup WX_Pup AD_Pup BM_Pup KZ_Pup AP_Pup WY_Pup AQ_Pup WZ_Pup BN_Pup AH_Vel AT_Pup RS_Pup V_Car RZ_Vel T_Vel SW_Vel SX_Vel ST_Vel BG_Vel W_Car DP_Vel DR_Vel T_Ant AE_Vel l_Car GX_Car CN_Car GZ_Car
HIP No. 36685 37174 37207 37506 37511 37515 38063 38241 38441 38907 38944 38965 39144 39666 40155 40178 40233 41588 42257 42321 42831 42926 42929 44847 45949 46610 46746 46924 47177 47854 48663 50244 50615
Vmax 8.032 5.696 9.095 10.611 10.220 8.873 9.500 10.471 11.690 7.190 10.366 8.097 10.002 9.282 5.620 7.655 6.660 7.213 6.567 7.835 7.654 8.055 9.510 7.569 7.344 11.644 9.280 8.969 10.013 3.502 9.104 10.482 10.213
Vmin 9.405 5.878 10.421 11.006 11.188 9.572 10.600 11.242 12.848 7.859 11.144 9.199 10.859 10.634 5.987 8.626 7.775 7.851 7.975 8.471 8.898 8.832 10.186 8.038 8.092 12.401 10.016 9.914 10.826 4.250 9.921 11.208 10.603
Period (D) 25.975 5.694 23.163 2.626 5.517 8.937 13.596 7.198 2.019 5.084 5.251 30.119 5.027 13.673 4.227 6.665 41.490 6.697 20.411 4.640 23.435 9.550 5.858 6.924 4.371 5.484 11.198 5.898 7.134 35.560 7.197 4.933 4.159
Star RY_Vel AQ_Car UW_Car YZ_Car UX_Car XX_Vel UZ_Car HW_Car EY_Car VY_Car SV_Vel SX_Car WW_Car WZ_Car XX_Car U_Car CY_Car FN_Car XY_Car HK_Car XZ_Car ER_Car GH_Car V898_Cen IT_Car GI_Car FR_Car AY_Cen AZ_Cen V419_Cen KK_Cen RT_Mus UU_Mus Page 22 of 27
HIP No. 50655 50722 51142 51262 51338 51894 51909 52157 52380 52538 52570 52661 53083 53397 53536 53589 53593 53867 53945 54066 54101 54543 54621 54659 54715 54862 54891 55726 55736 56176 57130 57260 57884
Vmax 8.025 8.672 9.119 8.268 7.908 10.398 9.133 9.120 10.199 7.007 8.286 8.806 9.446 8.711 8.739 5.897 9.578 11.338 9.008 10.094 8.197 6.689 9.148 7.933 8.095 8.246 9.436 8.670 8.578 8.134 11.043 8.693 9.294
Vmin 8.988 9.331 9.993 9.192 8.776 11.275 9.791 9.458 10.675 8.150 9.229 9.618 10.234 10.102 10.002 7.109 10.142 11.992 9.868 10.446 9.220 7.298 9.457 8.214 8.439 8.608 10.183 9.235 8.936 8.481 11.981 9.484 10.411
Period (D) 28.134 9.768 5.346 18.171 3.682 6.985 5.205 9.196 2.876 18.901 14.098 4.860 4.677 23.015 15.706 38.830 4.266 4.586 12.439 6.695 16.651 7.719 5.725 3.527 7.531 4.431 10.716 5.309 3.212 5.507 12.181 3.086 11.635
Star BB_Cen S_Mus AD_Cru SU_Cru T_Cru R_Cru BG_Cru R_Mus S_Cru V496_Cen V378_Cen VW_Cen KN_Cen XX_Cen V339_Cen V_Cen V737_Cen AV_Cir AX_Cir IQ_Nor R_TrA U_Nor SY_Nor S_TrA TW_Nor RS_Nor GU_Nor S_Nor V340_Ara KQ_Sco RV_Sco BF_Oph V636_Sco
HIP No. 57978 59551 59575 59996 60259 60455 61136 61981 62986 63693 64969 66189 66383 66696 70203 71116 71492 72583 72773 74448 75018 76918 77913 78476 78771 78797 79625 79932 82023 82498 83059 83674 85035
Vmax 10.005 6.029 10.782 9.508 6.483 6.483 5.490 6.023 6.316 9.760 8.419 9.752 9.389 7.452 8.645 6.532 6.684 7.401 5.782 9.404 6.469 8.853 9.146 6.133 11.214 9.765 10.179 6.283 9.775 9.447 6.810 7.114 6.523
Vmin 10.436 6.581 11.528 10.013 6.995 7.318 5.704 6.902 7.097 10.372 8.800 10.820 10.415 8.416 9.184 7.366 7.091 7.704 6.228 10.061 7.046 9.762 10.028 6.927 12.135 10.524 10.723 6.946 10.833 10.284 7.616 7.806 7.050
Period (D) 3.998 9.660 6.398 12.847 6.733 5.826 3.343 7.511 4.690 4.424 6.460 15.037 34.050 10.953 9.465 5.494 7.066 3.065 5.273 8.218 3.389 12.655 12.644 6.324 10.767 6.198 3.453 9.753 20.820 28.756 6.062 4.068 6.797
Star V482_Sco V950_Sco X_Sgr V500_Sco Y_Oph W_Sgr CR_Ser AP_Sgr WZ_Sgr Y_Sgr AY_Sgr X_Sct U_Sgr EV_Sct Y_Sct CK_Sct RU_Sct TY_Sct CM_Sct Z_Sct SS_Sct V350_Sgr BB_Her YZ_Sgr BB_Sgr V493_Aql FF_Aql V336_Aql SZ_Aql TT_Aql V496_Aql FM_Aql FN_Aql Page 23 of 27
HIP No. 85701 86269 87072 87173 87495 88567 89013 89276 89596 89968 90110 90791 90836 91239 91366 91613 91697 91706 91738 91785 91867 92013 92067 92370 92491 93063 93124 93399 93681 93990 94004 94094 94402
Vmax 7.752 7.275 4.364 8.686 6.009 4.393 10.554 6.727 7.581 5.494 10.291 9.684 6.499 10.156 9.459 10.461 8.983 10.525 10.930 9.195 8.058 7.221 9.985 7.187 6.811 10.810 5.314 9.630 8.209 6.814 7.737 8.025 8.259
Vmin 8.418 7.618 5.028 9.194 6.476 5.243 11.302 7.510 8.600 6.251 11.120 10.468 7.225 10.408 10.072 10.950 9.993 11.344 11.457 10.151 8.590 7.968 10.567 7.857 7.424 11.488 5.660 10.357 9.299 7.774 8.106 8.761 8.813
Period (D) 4.528 3.380 7.013 9.314 17.137 7.594 5.301 5.059 21.856 5.774 6.572 4.199 6.745 3.091 10.341 7.416 19.699 11.049 3.918 12.902 3.671 5.154 7.507 9.549 6.637 2.987 4.471 7.304 17.141 13.753 6.808 6.114 9.481
Star V473_Lyr V600_Aql U_Aql U_Vul V924_Cyg SU_Cyg BR_Vul SV_Vul V1162_Aql eta_Aql S_Sge X_Vul V733_Aql GH_Cyg KL_Aql CD_Cyg V402_Cyg MW_Cyg V495_Cyg SZ_Cyg X_Cyg T_Vul V520_Cyg VX_Cyg TX_Cyg VY_Cyg DT_Cyg V459_Cyg V386_Cyg V1334_Cyg V532_Cyg V538_Cyg VZ_Cyg
HIP No. 94685 95118 95820 96458 96596 97150 97309 97717 97794 97804 98085 98212 98217 98376 98553 98852 99276 99567 99887 101393 102276 102949 103241 103433 103656 104002 104185 104564 104877 105269 105369 106754 107899
Vmax 6.184 9.836 6.218 6.927 10.720 6.525 10.429 6.808 7.676 3.646 5.412 8.576 9.908 9.685 9.954 8.379 9.698 9.250 10.515 9.064 6.030 5.504 10.675 9.415 8.868 9.334 5.744 10.389 9.377 5.903 9.041 10.339 8.737
Vmin 6.361 10.483 6.996 7.623 10.999 7.321 11.227 7.892 8.203 4.465 6.186 9.344 10.361 10.447 10.736 9.655 10.297 9.968 10.962 9.982 7.060 6.201 11.284 10.624 9.966 10.145 6.036 11.101 10.017 6.065 9.418 10.887 9.432
Period (D) 1.491 7.236 7.023 7.991 5.571 3.846 5.197 44.960 5.375 7.178 8.383 6.320 6.179 7.818 6.108 17.071 4.365 5.955 6.721 15.109 16.387 4.435 4.049 20.141 14.708 7.856 2.499 7.252 5.258 3.333 3.284 6.119 4.864
Star IR_Cep CP_Cep BG_Lac Y_Lac AK_Cep V411_Lac del_Cep Z_Lac RR_Lac CR_Cep V_Lac X_Lac SW_Cas CH_Cas CY_Cas RS_Cas DW_Cas CD_Cas RY_Cas DD_Cas CF_Cas
HIP No. 108426 108427 108630 109340 110964 110968 110991 111972 112026 112430 112626 112675 114160 115390 115925 116556 116684 117154 117690 118122 118174
Vmax 7.753 10.255 8.703 8.883 11.011 7.834 3.560 8.095 8.571 9.596 8.529 8.349 9.496 10.478 11.065 9.648 10.970 10.507 9.524 9.757 10.944
Vmin 8.125 11.041 9.330 9.613 11.732 8.073 4.515 9.001 9.379 9.959 9.547 8.758 10.148 11.560 12.289 10.446 11.575 11.304 10.496 10.354 11.517
Period (D) 2.114 17.864 5.332 4.324 7.232 2.908 5.366 10.885 6.416 6.233 4.983 5.444 5.440 15.089 14.366 6.296 4.998 7.801 12.141 9.808 4.876
Page 24 of 27
Period-Luminosity Relationship
-2 -1.9 -1.8
Absolute Magnitude (M)
-1.7 -1.6 -1.5 -1.4 -1.3 -1.2 -1.1 -1 1 10 100
Period (P) in Days

Teachers Notes Booklet 3: Stellar Distances Page 25 of 27
3.11 Other Materials

This is booklet three in a series of six booklets currently available. The full range of titles is: Booklet 1 Booklet 2 Booklet 3 Booklet 4 Booklet 5 Booklet 6 Introduction to the Universe Stellar Radiation and Stellar Types Stellar Distances Cosmology Stellar Processes and Evolution Galaxies and the Expanding Universe
Each booklet can be used to cover a topic on its own, or as part of a series. Booklets 5 and 6 expand on the material covered in the other booklets and there is, therefore, some overlap in content. All the booklets can be accessed via the ESA Science and Technology at: http://sci.esa.int/teachernotes For other educational resources visit the ESA Science and Technology Educational Support website at: http://sci.esa.int/education
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Booklet 3 Stellar Distances