PHY 637- Astrophysics

Assignment 1

1. Prove that the Synodic period (S) and Sidereal periods of planets are related as:
(
1/E 1/P for superior planets
1/S = (1)
1/P 1/E for inferior planets
where E and P are Sidereal period of the Earth and the respective planet.

2. The southernmost star of the constellation Southern cross, Crucis, has declination -57 .
(a) At what latitude will it be just visible?
(b) At what latitude will it pass directly overhead?
(c) At what latitudes will it never set?

3. At midnight on June 28, 2017, the local Sidereal time at IISER Mohali was 17h58m. IISERM has a
longitude of 76.7 E.
(a) What was the local hour angle of Sirius (RA = 6h45m) at midnight?
(b) At what time was Sirius on the meridian at IISERM?
(c) At what time was Sirius on the meridian at Greenwich?

4. List the Right Ascension and Declination of the sun when it is located at the (a) vernal equinox, (b)
summer solstice, (c) winter solstice and (d) autumnal equinox.

5. (a) What is the Julian date for 17:30 March 11 2005? JD2000.0 is 2451545.0.
(b) What will be the corresponding MJD?

6. For an observer at latitude 42.5 N and longitude 71 W, estimate the time of sun rise on 21st December
if the observers local time is GMT-5 hrs.
7. Estimate the radius of a planet such that a human can escape its gravitational pull by jumping vertically.
Assume the height achieved in jump to be 50 cm and the density of the palnet to be the same as that
of earth  = 5500 Kg m3 .

8. A comet orbiting the sun is farthest from it at 31.5 AU and closest at 0.5AU. Find the orbital period of
the comet.