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Glite Dictionary
stellar parallax

stellar parallax

9.5
The small change in a star's position when Earth moves that shows how far it is
  • noun
  • /ˈstɛlər ˈpærəˌlæks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : paralaje estelar
  • Astronomers calculate a star's distance from Earth by observing its stellar parallax over the course of a year.

Examples

  • How does stellar parallax help astronomers determine distances?

  • Because stellar parallax is so tiny for distant stars, powerful telescopes are needed to detect it.

  • The first measurement of stellar parallax provided crucial evidence for the heliocentric model of the solar system.

  • The concept of stellar parallax was crucial for measuring star distances.

  • Astronomers use stellar parallax to determine how far away a star is by observing its apparent shift in position as Earth orbits the Sun.

  • The concept of stellar parallax is essential for calculating the distances to nearby stars accurately.

  • By measuring stellar parallax, scientists can estimate the distance between Earth and various stars in our galaxy.

Synonyms

parallax
vsstellar parallax
  • Specialized
4 9.5

A change in where something looks when you see it from two places, for example the moon

applies this idea specifically to stars using Earth's orbit observations
annual parallax
vsstellar parallax
  • Specialized
9.9

A small change in a star's position when Earth moves around the Sun that shows how far away it is

is specific to using this shift to find distance of a star
heliocentric parallax
vsstellar parallax
  • Specialized
9.9

A small shift in a star's position seen when Earth is at different places around the sun to measure distance

focuses on measuring star distance rather than general celestial objects

Surface Forms

stellar parallax singular
stellar parallaxes plural

Morphology

stellar + parallax

The compound is directly compositional: 'stellar' specifies the domain ('of stars') and 'parallax' denotes an apparent displacement from different viewpoints, so the phrase literally means the apparent displacement of a star. This follows a standard modifier+noun pattern (common across languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Stellar parallax uses stellar ('star') and parallax, a word for a small 'shift' you see when you look from two different places. Imagine a nearby tree that seems to move against far hills when you walk from one side of a road to the other; astronomers watch the same tiny 'shift' in a star as Earth moves and use it to measure the star's 'distance', so the phrase means the apparent change in a star's position used to find how far away it is.