The mean distance of the sun from the earth is $1.5 \times 10^8 \text{ km}$ (nearly). The time taken by the light to reach the earth from the sun is.....$\text{min}$

The Sun's angular diameter is measured to be $1920^{\prime \prime}$. The distance $D$ of the Sun from the Earth is $1.496 \times 10^{11} \ m$. What is the diameter of the Sun?

The principle of 'parallax' is used in the determination of distances of very distant stars. The baseline $AB$ is the line joining the Earth's two locations six months apart in its orbit around the Sun. That is,the baseline is about the diameter of the Earth's orbit $\approx 3 \times 10^{11} \; m$. However,even the nearest stars are so distant that with such a long baseline,they show parallax only of the order of $1''$ (second of arc) or so. $A$ parsec is a convenient unit of length on the astronomical scale. It is the distance of an object that will show a parallax of $1''$ (second of arc) from opposite ends of a baseline equal to the distance from the Earth to the Sun. How much is a parsec in terms of metres?

The moon is observed from two diametrically opposite points $A$ and $B$ on Earth. The angle $\theta$ subtended at the moon by the two directions of observation is $1^{\circ} 54^{\prime}$. Given the diameter of the Earth to be about $1.276 \times 10^{7} \; m$,compute the distance of the moon from the Earth.

$(a)$ The earth-moon distance is about $60$ earth radii. What will be the angular diameter of the earth (approximately in degrees) as seen from the moon?
$(b)$ The moon is seen to have an angular diameter of $(1/2)^{\circ}$ from the earth. What is its 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.

The nearest star to our solar system is $4.29$ light years away. How much is this distance in terms of parsecs? How much parallax would this star (named Alpha Centauri) show when viewed from two locations of the Earth six months apart in its orbit around the Sun?