How do disk stars orbit the center of the galaxy?

How do disk stars orbit the center of the galaxy?

Individual stars in the disk are on nearly circular orbits in the plane of the disk, all revolving in the same direction around the center of our galaxy. (By contrast, stars in the halo are on elongated orbits, at random orientations, some traveling clockwise, and others counterclockwise.)

What are basic characteristics of stars orbits in the disk halo and bulge of our galaxy?

Explanation: The disk orbits are more or less circular and all lie nearly on a plane. The disk stars orbit in circles with the same orientation, except for little up- and- down motion. The halo and bulge orbits are much less organized: they vary from round to very elliptical, and don’t lie on a plane either.

What characteristics of the orbiting stars do we need to measure in order to calculate the mass of the central object Sgr A *?

To determine the mass of the central object, we must apply Newton’s version of Kepler’s third law, which requires knowing the orbital period and average orbital distance (semimajor axis) for at least one star.

Which regions of the galaxy have stars with randomly oriented orbits?

Terms in this set (24) The stars in the halo move in randomly-oriented orbits, while the disk stars generally stay confined to moving in the disk.

How do stars orbit in the bulge?

Within the bulge, stars orbit in a completely random fashion meaning that the bulge is velocity dispersion supported rather than rotation supported.

How do stars orbit within the bulge of the Milky Way?

How do stars orbit in our galaxy? – Stars in the disk orbit in circles going in the same direction with a little up-and-down motion. – Orbits of halo and bulge stars have random orientations. We observe the star–gas–star cycle operating in Milky Way’s disk using many different wavelengths of light.

What are the basic characteristics of stars orbits in the disk halo and bulge of our galaxy quizlet?

TestNew stuff! What are basic characteristics of stars’ orbits in the disk, halo, and bulge of our galaxy? The disk stars have nearly circular orbits. They have vertical motions out of the plane, making them appear to bob up and down, but they never get “too far” from the disk.

Why do the halo stars have different orbits?

Young stars lie in the thin disk, are rich in metals, and orbit the Galaxy’s center at high speed. The stars in the halo are old, have low abundances of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, and have highly elliptical orbits randomly oriented in direction (see Figure 1).

Which one is located closest to a place where evidence suggests we would find a 4 million solar mass black hole?

Of the four labeled stars, which one is located closest to a place where evidence suggests we would find a 4-million-solar-mass black hole? 2 – The orbits of stars near the galactic center, along with radio and X-ray emissions from surrounding gas, provide strong evidence for the presence of such a massive black hole.

How do you measure the mass of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way?

For example, the mass of the black hole in the center of our Milky Way galaxy was calculated by measuring the speeds of individual stars that orbit around it. This showed that the black hole is three million times more massive than our Sun.

How did Harlow Shapley determined the location of the center of our galaxy?

Shapley correctly determined the galactic center of the Milky Way to be located in the constellation of Sagittarius. He did this by mapping out a three-dimensional distribution of the globular clusters.

Which direction has highly elliptical orbits randomly oriented?

The stars in the halo are old, have low abundances of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, and have highly elliptical orbits randomly oriented in direction (see Figure 1). Halo stars can plunge through the disk and central bulge, but they spend most of their time far above or below the plane of the Galaxy.

Why do stars closer to the Galactic Center exhibit differential rotation?

Through Doppler shift measurements and observing the positions of stars, astronomers have been able to determine that disk stars exhibit differential rotation, meaning that stars closer to the Galactic center have shorter orbital periods than those farther away from the Galactic center.

What is the halo component of the Milky Way galaxy?

The stars in the halo component have highly-inclined random orbits that orbit the center of our Galaxy. The stars within the halo would therefore make up a spherical distribution of stars surrounding the center of the Galaxy.

What is the distance from the center of the Milky Way?

Rank these locations based on their distance from the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, from farthest to closest. The central bulge extends out about 5,000 light-years from the galactic center. Our solar system is about 28,000 light-years from the center, which is about halfway through the disk.

What determines the orbital period of disk stars near the Sun?

Studies of disk stars near the Sun reveal that the orbital period of a disk star depends on its distance from the Galactic center. The farther away the star is from the Galactic center, the slower its orbital period. Astronomers have confirmed the orderly motions of disk stars near the Sun with measurements of systematic Doppler shifts.