parallax
4
9.5
- noun
- /ˈpɛr.ə.læks/
- Specialized
:
paralaje
- The phenomenon, which also has application in astronomy, is known as parallax, and every child with two functional eyes takes a turn being fascinated by it.
- parallax measurement
- error due to parallax
Examples
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When you close one eye and then the other, you can see the parallax of objects close to you shift in relation to their background.
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After due allowance was made for parallax, the difference in longitude was found to be 5 hours, 7 minutes, 2 seconds.
Academic text (2006) -
A parsec is the parallax of an arcsecond.
Blog text (16) -
Coming to a value for the parallax required international cooperation since the solution involved observing Venus from as many angles as possible.
Academic text (2004) -
Cepheids are the primary yardsticks for astronomical distances beyond the reach of parallax measurement.
Academic text (1994) -
Venus's crossing of the Sun's face from separate spots on Earth would reveal its parallax, the angle established by its apparently shifting position relative to the Sun, which could then be used to triangulate distance.
Academic text (2004) -
Astronomers use parallax to determine the distance of nearby stars by measuring the shift in their position from different viewpoints on Earth.
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By calculating the parallax angle of a star, scientists can accurately measure how far away it is from our planet.
Synonyms
A small change in a star's position when Earth moves around the Sun that shows how far away it is
A small shift in a star's position seen when Earth is at different places around the sun to measure distance
The small change in a star's position when Earth moves that shows how far it is
A small change in where an object in the sky looks when seen from different places on Earth
A small shift in a star's or planet's position when seen from different places on Earth because Earth turns
The biggest apparent shift of the Moon or a planet seen from Earth at the horizon
The angle of Earth's size seen from the distance between Earth and the Sun used to measure solar system distances
Compounds
- Specialized
A small shift in a star's or planet's position when seen from different places on Earth because Earth turns
- Specialized
A small change in a star's position when Earth moves around the Sun that shows how far away it is
- Specialized
A small change in where an object in the sky looks when seen from different places on Earth
- Specialized
A small shift in a star's position seen when Earth is at different places around the sun to measure distance
- Specialized
The biggest apparent shift of the Moon or a planet seen from Earth at the horizon
- Specialized
The angle of Earth's size seen from the distance between Earth and the Sun used to measure solar system distances
- Specialized
The small change in a star's position when Earth moves that shows how far it is
How Much Parallax
Surface Forms
Etymology
Parallax comes from Greek parts para- meaning 'beside' (as in parallel) and -allax meaning 'change'. So it names the small 'side-to-side change' you see when you look at an object from two different places, which is why astronomers use parallax to measure distance.