Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 3/15/2006

Question
1.what is your profession?
2.how can you differenciate the trigonometry     and  astronomy?
3.how can you use the trigonometry in the aspect of astronomy?
4.what is the importance of trigonometry in astronomy?


Answer
Hi Andrew!
Do you know who Torqemada was? :)
[Read all about the inquisition on the web and you will know why i asked you that question! HaHa]

Ok,
1 - I am a computer programmer.
   Astronomy has been my hobby since childhood!
   I used to take delight in reading "M.A.R.S Patrol" etc
   by Gold key Comics, way back in the 60s.
   Also tales of Flash Gordon and Zarkov, and Dale Arden
   and the incorrigible Ming the merciless.
2 - Trigonmetry is the TOOL, for astronomical OBJECTIVES!
3 - Trigonometry is used to calculate stellar or planetary
   distances by measuring "parallaxes".
4 - It is important only where parallaxes are measurable
   (namely planetary astronomy and near sol stars).
   Beyond that the parallaxes are quite small and
   inaccuracies may creep in.
   
Note:- For measuring galactic distances, a class of stars called "cepheid variables" is used. Read all about it at wikipedia, or type "cepheid variables" into google.
Hope that suffices.
Jayen