Harlow Shapley's Original Estimate of the Distance from the Sun

question 5

Multiple Choice

Harlow Shapley's original estimate of the distance from the Sun to the galactic center was incorrect because it did not take interstellar extinction into account.This original estimate was

• A) too large because light scattering and absorption by dust made nearer stars look dim-as though they were more distant.
• B) too large because scattering by dust made stars look redder-as though they were highly Doppler shifted and thus more distant.
• C) too small because gas and dust tend to reflect light back into the path of the beam,thus making stars look brighter and nearer.
• D) too large because scattering by dust made stars look redder-as though they were red giants of larger luminosity and thus farther away.

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