25. (a) The earth-moon distance is about 60 times the earth radius. What will be the diameter of the earth (approximately in degrees) as seen from the moon?

(b) Moon is seen to be of (1/2)° diameter from the earth. What must be the relative size compared to the earth?

(c) From parallax measurement, the sun is found to be at a distance of about 400 times the earth-moon distance. Estimate the ratio of sun-earth diameters.

Hint: Use arc = angle x radius with appropriate units.
 

(a) Step 1: Find the angle subtended by the diameter of the earth.

The angle subtended at distance r due to an arc of length l is:

Given,

l=RE; r=60RE
θ=RE60RE=160rad=160×180π degree =3π=1

Hence. the angle subtended by the diameter of the earth =2θ=2.

 

(b) Step 2: Find the size of the moon as compared to the earth.

Given that moon is seen as of 12° diameter and the earth is seen as of 2° diameter.

 Hence,  Diameter of earth  Diameter of moon =(2/π)rad(12π)rad=4

(c) Step 3: Find the ratio of diameters of the sun and the earth.

From parallax, measurement given that the sun is at a distance of about
400 times the earth-moon distance, hence, rsunr moon =400
 (Suppose, where r stands for distance and D for diameter)
The sun and moon both appear to be of the same angular diameter as seen from the earth.

 D sun r sun =D moon r moon  D sun D moon =400
But
D earth D moon =4 D sun D earth =100