Using various telescopes, astronomers discovered a giant star that is 100 times larger than the Sun, and is very hot. It is blue-white in color. Why does the Sun appear brighter than this larger star when viewed from Earth?
- The Sun is older than the larger star
-The Sun is closer to Earth than the larger star**
- The Sun is made of different elements that the larger star
agree
The correct answer is: The Sun is closer to Earth than the larger star.
When we observe celestial objects from Earth, the apparent brightness is affected by both the intrinsic brightness of the object itself and its distance from us. In this case, although the larger star is 100 times larger and very hot, it appears dimmer than the Sun because it is much farther away from Earth.
The Sun, being our closest star, is approximately 93 million miles away from us. Because of its proximity, even though it may be smaller and less hot compared to the giant star, it appears much brighter in the sky from our vantage point on Earth.
Distance plays a crucial role in determining the apparent brightness of celestial objects. Even though the larger star may be more luminous and hotter, if it is located much farther away, its light will be spread out over a larger distance, making it appear dimmer to us.
So, in summary, the Sun appears brighter than the larger star when viewed from Earth because it is much closer to us.