USAAAO 2024 - First Round

February 10th , 2024

Problem writers: Wesley Andrade, Abhay Bestrapalli, Austin Chen, Justin Chen, Ved Gund,
Hagan Hensley, Sandesh Kalantre, Evan Kim, David Lee, Joe McCarty, Arjun Patel, Sahil Pontula,
Tara Rezaei, Raul Teixeira, Leo Yao, David Zhang

1. David is walking down MIT’s infinite corridor (latitude 42˝ 211 332 ) when he suddenly sees the
sun aligning with the window at the end of the corridor. Being the observational master he is,
David immediately pulls out his compass and measures the Sun to be at an azimuth of 245.81˝ .
Forgetting to bring his jacket, he is painfully reminded as he walks outside that it has been less
than 6 months since the previous winter solstice. Which of the following choices is closest to the
current date? Assume the corridor is parallel to the surface of the Earth.
(a) January 15
(b) January 30
(c) February 15
(d) March 20
(e) April 1

Solution:
Since the corridor is parallel to the surface of the Earth, we know that the Sun’s altitude is
0 degrees. Define points on the celestial sphere as follows: A is David’s current location, B
is the North Celestial Pole, and C is the location of the Sun.
By the spherical law of cosines,

cos a “ cos A sin b sin c ` cos b cos c

By definition, A is the azimuth angle of 245.81˝ , a “ 90˝ ´ δ where δ is the declination of

the Sun, and c “ 90˝ ´ l where l “ 42.36˝ is the latitude of Boston. Additionally, b is just
90 degrees minus the altitude of the Sun, so b “ 90˝ .
Therefore, our equation simplifies to

sin δ “ cos A cos l ùñ δ “ sin´1 pcos A cos lq

Calculating this gives δ “ ´17.63˝ .

Now, we draw a second spherical triangle. Let A be the direction of the vernal equinox, B
be the location of the North Celestial Pole, and C be the direction of the Sun.
Since the declination of the Sun is negative but it has been less than 6 months since the last
winter solstice, we know that the point C is between the location of the winter solstice and
point A, and so therefore angle A “ 90˝ ` i “ 113.44˝ where i “ 23.44˝ is the Earth’s axial

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 tilt. Also, we know a “ 90˝ ´ δ. And since A is on the equator, we must have that c “ 90˝ .
Using the law of cosines again,

cos a “ cos A sin b sin c ` cos b cos c

ˆ ˙
cos A cos l
sin δ “ ´ sin i sin b ùñ b “ sin´1 ´ “ 47.64˝
sin i

During 365.25 days, the Sun travels 360˝ across the celestial sphere, so it would take
47.64˝
¨ 365.25 days “ 48.34 days
360˝
to reach the vernal equinox from its current position. Thus all we have to do is count
backwards 48-49 days from March 20th to get an answer of January 30.

Answer: B

2. Abhay looks at the light curves for two main sequence stars A and B, which you can assume are
blackbodies. A has its peak at a frequency two times as high as that of B. By looking at the
depth of spectral lines, Abhay can also determine that A has higher metallicity than B. Abhay
makes the following statements:
P: A has higher absolute magnitude than B.
Q: A is older than B.
Which of the following is true?
(a) P and Q are true.
(b) P and Q are false.
(c) P is true and Q is false.
(d) P is false and Q is true.
(e) We don’t have sufficient information for one or more of these statements.

Solution:
A has a peak at a higher frequency/lower wavelength, thus it has a higher temperature by
Wien’s law. Thus, by Stefan Boltzmann’s law we can say A has higher intensity. This will
means a lower absolute magnitude.
A has higher metallicity, thus it is younger (newer stars are able to use metals created in
supernovae, and thus have higher metallic content).
P and Q are both false.

Answer: B

3. Aliens in a nearby star system (located in a random direction from Earth) are looking for nearby
planets using the transit method. What is the probability that they can see the Earth transit
across the Sun?
(Assume they observe our Sun over multiple years and their instruments are sensitive enough
to detect any transit that occurs.)

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 (a) 100%
(b) 5.8%
(c) 0.93%
(d) 0.47%
(e) 0.15%

Solution:
Using the small-angle approximation, a planet orbiting a distance a around a star of radius
R can be seen to transit if the inclination of the orbital plane is less than R{a. We can think
of this as tracing out a strip around the celestial sphere of width 2R{a (since the inclination
can be in either direction), and the aliens will only see the transit if their star lies in this
strip. The solid-angle area of this strip is 2πp2R{aq, and the total solid angle of the celestial
sphere is 4π, so the chance that a randomly selected star is within the strip is

2πp2R{aq R
P ptransitq “ “
4π a

For Earth, this is about 0.47%.

Answer: D

4. Orion is observing the sky with two telescopes that he just made. Orion wrote down that the
first telescope has a primary mirror with focal length Fp “ 2m and an eye piece with focal
length Fe “ 30mm . However, he does not know the specifications of his second telescope.
Given that the full-field image on the left was taken by the first telescope, and the full-field
image on the right was taken by the second telescope, which of the following choices could be
the specifications of the second telescope?

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 (a) Fp “ 1m Fe “ 15mm
(b) Fp “ 1m Fe “ 30mm
(c) Fp “ 1m Fe “ 90mm
(d) Fp “ 6m Fe “ 30mm
(e) Fp “ 6m Fe “ 15mm

Solution: Indicated by the red and green circles, the second image is roughly 3-4 times
F
more magnified than the second picture. Magnification of a telescope equals M “ Fpe .
Therefore, the only answer choices that allows the second telescope to produce a magnitude
3-4 times that of the first is answer choice D.

Answer: D

5. A supernova is triggered largely by neutrinos. In fact, 99% of the energy coming from the su-
pernova is released in form of neutrinos. Over a time span of about three months, the supernova
outputs visible light with power equivalent to 10 billion Suns. Assuming supernova neutrinos
have mean energy of around 10 MeV, that all the power of the supernova is released during the
time it is visible, and that all of the power released is released in the form of either visible light
or neutrinos, estimate the number of neutrinos released.
(a) 1054
(b) 1055
(c) 1050
(d) 1057
(e) 1060

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 Solution: Estimating the Luminosity of the supernova:
1 eV
LSN “ 1010 ¨ 4 ¨ 1026 J s´1 ¨
1.609 ¨ 10´19 J
The luminosity in neutrinos is then:

Lν “ 99 ¨ LSN

Therefore, if we multiply this by the total amount of time and divide by the energy of the
neutrino, we get the number of neutrinos:

Lν ¨ 90 d ¨ 86400s
Nν “ d
« 1057 neutrinos
10 ¨ 106 eV

Answer: D

6. Newly discovered planets DDP and CJ are found to orbit a nearby star, as shown in the figure
above. Planet CJ has a circular orbit with a radius of 2d, while planet DDP moves in an
elliptical orbit with an aphelion of d and a perihelion of 5d. Their orbits intersect at location
B in the figure. Additionally, through external analysis, planet DDP is found to be three times
more massive than planet CJ. From the perspective of the star, what is the ratio of the angular
momentum of planet DDP when it passes through point B to the angular momentum of planet
CJ when it passes through point B? You may assume that the masses of both planets are
significantly smaller than the mass of the star they orbit.
?
3 3
(a) 2
b
15
(b) 2
?
(c) 2 3

5
 ?
(d) 30
b
10
(e) 3

Solution:

Answer: B

7. Arjun launches a 50 kg rocket with speed 10,405 m/s from the surface of the Earth and redirects
it into a stable elliptical orbit. Upon analysis, he finds the area of the orbit to 1.438 ˆ 1015
m2 . What is the approximate distance between the periapsis of the orbit and the center of the
Earth? Assume no energy was lost in the redirection of the rocket into its new orbit.
(a) 10000 km
(b) 5000 km
(c) 2000 km
(d) 39000 km
(e) 15000 km

Solution:

Answer: A

8. The mass density of the Milky Way galaxy determines the orbital velocity of planets, stars, and
other objects orbiting around its center. Assuming a constant surface mass density σ for the
Milky Way and modeling it as a perfect circular disk, identify the dependence of the circular
orbital velocity vprq of a point mass at radius r from the galaxy’s center.
?
(a) 1{ r
(b) 1{r
?
(c) r
(d) r
(e) r3{2

Solution: From Newton’s law, we have

Gσpπr2 q v2
2
“ (1)
r r
?
which gives vprq9 r.

Answer: C

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 9. Let’s assume that on an expedition mission to Mars, we take a telescope with 0.01 arcsecond
angular resolution from earth. What is the ratio of the number of the stars we can measure the
parallax distance to using this telescope on Mars compared to earth? The semimajor axis of
Mars is 1.524 AU.
(a) 0.25
(b) 0.5
(c) 1
(d) 4
(e) 8

Solution:
According to the figure below,

r re rm
for a given small θ we can have: tanpθq « θ « d Ñ θ “ const. “ de “ dm
dm rm
de “ re
Let N be the number of observed stars:
Nm
N 9d3 Ñ Ne “ p ddme q3 “ p 1.5 3
1 q « 4.

Answer: D

10. Ben Chen is an alien living on a system identical to earth, except his planet’s obliquity is 0˝ .
Located at latitude 42.20˝ , he wants to observe M52. Due to the open cluster being so dim, Ben
needs perfect conditions to observe M52. Due to atmospheric effects, M52 can only be observed
above an altitude of 30˝ . Additionally, it must be during astronomical twilight (when the Sun is
more than 18˝ below the horizon). Of the following dates, which is the earliest after the vernal
equinox that Ben can observe the cluster? The coordinates of M52 are approximately α = 0h
and δ “ 60˝ .

(a) April 21st

(b) June 21st
(c) August 21st
(d) October 21st
(e) December 21st

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 Solution:
Drawing a spherical triangle between the NCP, zenith, and M52 reveals that the hour angle
at which M52 is at altitude 30˝ is ˘ 6h51m. Drawing a spherical triangle between the Sun,
NCP, and zenith reveals that the Sun’s hour angle at astronomical twilight is ˘ 7h39m.
Since the Sun’s rises later throughout the year, relative to M52, the first case where M52
is observable is when M52 reaches 30˝ right before the end of astronomical twilight. This
means the Sun’s right ascension is 7h39m - 6h51m = 48m, which occurs 13 days after March
21st.

Answer: A

11. Joe lives at the bottom of a vertical cylindrical hole with a radius of 10 m at a depth of 10 km
below the surface. He sees the Sun directly through the opening of the hole for a couple days
twice a year, around November 2nd and February 9th. Which of the following is Joe’s latitude?
(a) 42˝ 221 N
(b) 19˝ 271 N
(c) 4˝ 431 N
(d) 14˝ 381 S
(e) 34˝ 361 S

Solution:
This question and the following one are inspired by Chapter 30 of What If ? 2 by Randall
Munroe.
The declination of an object at zenith equals the latitude. The Sun’s declination is negative
in November and February, and the absolute value of the Sun’s declination never exceeds
the obliquity 23.44˝ , so the only possibility is 14˝ 381 S.

Answer: D

12. In the same scenario as the question above, what is the longest possible time interval that direct
sunlight reaches anywhere in the bottom of the hole in a single day?
(a) 28 sec
(b) 2 min 8 sec
(c) 2 min 26 sec
(d) 2 min 35 sec
(e) 2 min 41 sec

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 Solution:
The portion of the sky visible anywhere at the bottom of the hole is a circle centered at the
zenith, with angular radius ˆ ˙
10 m
ρ “ tan´1 ,
10 ˆ 103 m
so there is direct sunlight at the bottom of the hole whenever zenith distance of the center
of the Sun is less than this radius, plus the angular radius of the Sun θd . If the center of
the Sun passes directly overhead, the Sun travels a total of 2pρ ` θd q across the sky while it
is visible. The declination of the Sun is δ “ ´14˝ 381 by the previous question, so the total
angular distance covered by the Sun over the course of a 24 hr day is 360˝ cos δ (the Sun
does not traverse a great circle when it is not on the equator). Therefore, the total time is
` ˘
2pρ ` θd q 2 tan´1 p10{104 q ` tan´1 p6.96 ˆ 108 {1.496 ˆ 1011 q
p24 hrq ¨ “ p24 ¨ 60 minq ¨
360˝ cos δ 360˝ cos p´14˝ 381 q
“ 2.68 min.

Answer: E

13. Samvit observes a binary star system of masses M1 and M2 . Unfortunately, the star with mass
M2 is too dim for him to observe it, leading to the following snapshot below.

What could Samvit hypothesize to be the position and mass of the other star at this instant
that would be consistent with the laws of physics and the orbit snapshot that he sees? To be
clear, he has no knowledge of the value of M2 or the period of the binary system.
?
(a) At p a2 ´ b2 , 0q with mass M1 ` M2
(b) At p0, ´bq with mass M1
?
(c) At p a2 ´ b2 , 0q with mass MM11`MM2
2
?
(d) At p´2 a2 ´ b2 , ´bq with mass M1
M2
?
(e) At p M 1
a2 ´ b2 , 0q with mass M2

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 Solution: The trick to this question is that the center of mass of the system has to lie at
the focus of the ellipse, and this is the only thing that matters if you have no knowledge
of the other parameters in the system. In fact, if you had the period of the binary system,
you could fully determine the value of M2 in terms of M1 and the other parameters of the
problem. So, we can simply go through the?choices and see which choice places the center
of mass of the system at one of the foci, p˘ a2 ´ b2 , 0q, and choice (d) does.

Answer: D

14. The surface of the Sun exhibits differential rotation, with different rotational periods at different
latitudes. We can measure this rotation speed using Doppler spectroscopy or by tracking the
motion of sunspots.
If the rotation speed of the Sun’s surface at the equator is 2021 m{s, and at 60˝ South is
809 m{s, how long would it take for a sunspot at the equator to do a full extra lap around the
Sun compared to a sunspot at 60˝ South?
(a) 6.2 days
(b) 25.0 days
(c) 31.2 days
(d) 41.7 days
(e) 126 days

Solution:
A point at latitude l on the surface of a body of radius R is located a distance R cos l away
from the axis of rotation. Thus, the total distance d a point on the surface needs to travel
for one full rotation is d “ 2πR cos l. We can use this to find the orbital period as a function
of the rotational velocity:
d 2πR cos l
T “ “
v v
Plugging in the given values as well as the Sun’s radius for R, we get T “ 25.0 days at the
equator, and T “ 31.2 days at 60˝ latitude.
The time it takes for one sunspot to do a full extra lap around the Sun relative to another
is conceptually identical to the synodic period between two planets, and can be calculated
by the same formula:

1 1 1
“ ´
Tlap T1 T2
Tlap “ 126
days

Answer: E

15. Two protons A and B lie in the solar interior. In the rest frame of proton A, the proton B
approaches it radially from a large distance with speed 0.9c. In the rest frame of proton A,

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 identify the radius of the “classically forbidden” region for proton B (i.e. the region in which
proton B cannot enter).
(a) 6.6 ˆ 10´12 m
(b) 4.1 ˆ 10´15 m
(c) 2.3 ˆ 10´15 m
(d) 3.8 ˆ 10´18 m
(e) 1.2 ˆ 10´18 m

Solution:
Let rc denote the radius of the classically forbidden region for proton B in the rest frame of
proton A. This is also the radial position of the classical turning point of motion for proton
B. Applying conservation of (relativistic) energy, we find

e2
pγpvq ´ 1qmp c2 “ , (2)
4πϵ0 rc
a
where γpvq “ 1{ 1 ´ v 2 {c2 denotes the Lorentz factor.

Answer: E

16. Consider a sun-planet-moon system. The rotation period of the planet is 2 days. The period of
revolution of the moon around the planet is 42 days while that of the planet around the sun is
420 days. What is the length of the lunar cycle as seen from the planet? You can assume the
the direction of planetary rotation, planetary revolution and lunar revolution is the same.
(a) 42.1 days
(b) 44.3 days
(c) 46.7 days
(d) 50.5 days
(e) 53.1 days

Solution:
1 1 1
Synodic period i.e. length of lunar cycle is given as Ts “ 42 ´ 420 .

Answer: C

17. The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is an optical telescope under construction in Chile. The
primary mirror has been planned to have a diameter of 39.3 m making it largest optical telescope
ever built. One of the goals for this telescope is the direct imaging of exoplanets. Consider an
exoplanet at a distance of 1 A.U. from a star. What is the maximum distance from Earth of
such a star-exoplanet system in which the ELT can resolve the exoplanet separately from the
star? Ignore atmospheric seeing and assume optical wavelength to be 500 nm.
(a) 112 pc

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 (b) 212 pc
(c) 312 pc
(d) 412 pc
(e) 512 pc

Solution: Use the Rayleigh criterion to calculate the best-case resolution

1.22λ
θm “
D
where D is the diameter of the primary mirror.
The maximum distance to the stellar system d is calculated as dθm “ 1A.U.. Converting
A.U. to parsecs, we get d “ 312 pc.

Answer: C

18. At 6am on March 20th, as the Sun is rising, Leo, who is at p40˝ N, 75˝ Wq, plants a stick vertically
on the ground. At that moment, he marks out a (finite) line on the ground in the direction of the
shadow of the stick at that moment, labeling it with the current time. Every hour afterwards,
on the hour, he marks out a new line in the current direction of the shadow, until the sun sets
at 6pm.
Three months later, Leo returns to the same spot, where the vertical stick and lines remain.
Again, every hour on the hour, he marks out a line in the current direction of the shadow, until
the sun sets.
Let α12 and α6 be the azimuths of the lines drawn in the spring at 12pm and 6pm, and β12 and
β6 be the azimuths of the lines drawn in the summer at 12pm and 6pm. Which of the following
statements is true? Ignore atmospheric effects and the equation of time.
(a) α12 “ β12 , α6 “ β6
(b) α12 ą β12 , α6 “ β6
(c) α12 ă β12 , α6 “ β6
(d) α12 “ β12 , α6 ą β6
(e) α12 “ β12 , α6 ă β6

Solution:
As the stick is vertical and perpendicular to the ground, the line of the shadow is opposite
the azimuth of the Sun, so angles between lines equal changes in azimuth of the Sun.
March 20th is the spring equinox, and solar time corresponds with local time (as the Sun
rises at 6am and sets at 6pm, and 75˝ W is perfectly in the center of the UTC-5 time zone).
Therefore, the Sun is on the meridian at 12pm and on the horizon due west at 6pm.
Three months later is the summer solstice. As solar time corresponds with local time and
we ignore the equation of time, the Sun must still be on the meridian at noon, and at 6pm,
the hour angle of the Sun must be 90˝ . However, as the Sun is traveling on a small circle

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 with declination δ “ 23.5˝ , the Sun ends up North of West, with a greater azimuth, at this
point (see diagram).

Therefore, α12 “ β12 and α6 ă β6 .

Answer: E

19. Leo then realizes that, in order for a single set of hour markings to accurately describe the time
over the course of an entire year, the stick may need to be tilted away from the vertical position.
More specifically, consider straight lines drawn on the ground from the base of the stick; the
shadow at a certain fixed time of day, on different days of the year, should always lie on the
same line. Measured as an angle from the vertical, how much does the stick need to be tilted,
and in which direction?
(a) 0˝ (no tilt needed)
(b) 40˝ towards the North
(c) 50˝ towards the North
(d) 40˝ towards the South

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 (e) 50˝ towards the South

Solution:
Place the tip of the stick at the center of the celestial sphere. Consider the position of the
Sun at a certain fixed time of day, on different days of the year. For the same time of day,
the hour angle stays the same, but the declination of the Sun varies between δ “ ´23.5˝ to
23.5˝ , encompassing an arc of a great circle passing through the celestial poles.
Then, the shadow of the tip of the stick must always be in the plane containing the center
and the arc. As the shadows on different days form a line, and the lines on the ground pass
through the base of the stick, the base of the stick must also be in this plane.

Repeating this argument for different times of day, we get that the base of the stick must
be in the intersection of planes defined by arcs at different hour angles. As all these planes
pass through the North and South celestial poles, the intersection is the line joining the
NCP and SCP, and the stick base must be on this line.
Therefore, the stick must point (upwards) in the direction of the NCP. As the altitude of
the NCP is the latitude, the NCP is 40˝ above the horizon, or 50˝ tilted from the zenith
towards the North.

Answer: C

20. Imagine a very long cylindrical planet that has a satellite orbiting around it. Considering that

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 the average density of the planet is ρ and the radius is R, find the expression that relates the
period P of the satellite with its distance d to the center of the planet.
c
2d 2π
(a)
R Gρ
c
d 2π
(b)
R Gρ
c
d 4π
(c)
2R Gρ
c
d 4π
(d)
R Gρ
c
d π
(e)
R Gρ

Solution:
Due to the symmetry, and using Gauss’ Law for gravitation, we know that the gravity at
a distance d from the center is given by g ¨ S “ ´4πGMin . Our Gaussian shape will thus
be a cylinder of radius d and length L. So, S “ 2πdL, and the internal mass is given by
Min “ ρπR2 L. Therefore, we have that:
2
⃗ “ ´ 2πGρR r̂
g ¨ 2πdL “ ´4πGρπR2 L ñ gprq
d

Now, knowing that Fg “ Fcp ñ mg “ mω 2 d “ mp2π{P q2 d, we can find the period:

c
d 2π
P “
R Gρ

Answer: B

21. The problem of magnetic monopoles — that is, the apparent absence of magnetic monopoles
in the universe — arises from the fact that some modern physical theories (such as string
theory) predict that the number density of magnetic monopoles at the time of their creation
was nM ptGU T q « 1082 m´3 . The inflation theory provides a possible solution to this problem, as
the exponential expansion of the primordial universe would ”dilute” the monopoles. Calculate,
approximately, how much the universe expanded during the inflationary period so that today the
probability of a single magnetic monopole existing in the observational universe is 1%. Consider
that the beginning of inflation coincides with the time of the creation of magnetic monopoles,
and that the universe is flat (Euclidean geometry can be used on large scales). You can use that
the diameter of the observational universe is 28.5 Gpc, and that between the end of inflation
and today, the universe has linearly expanded by a factor of 5 ˆ 1026 .
(a) e40
(b) e50
(c) e55
(d) e65
(e) e85

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 Solution:
Let V0 be the volume of the universe and R0 its radius nowadays. The numerical density
of magnetic monopoles today can be calculated by nM pt0 q “ p0 {V0 “ 3p0 {p4πR03 q, where
p0 is the probability of existing a monopole in the current universe. Besides that, we can
relate nM pt0 q with nM ptGU T q by nM pt0 q “ nM ptGU T q ¨ f0´3 ¨ fN
´3
, where f0 is how much the
universe expanded between the end of inflation and today, and fN is how much it expanded
during the inflationary period. Making the equality between these two relations, we have:
3
3p0 ´3 4πR0
nM pt0 q “ nM ptGU T q ¨ f0´3 ¨ fN
´3
“ ñ fN “ n M ptGU T qf0
4πR03 3p0

ñ fN « e65

Answer: D

22. Tara is investigating a new interesting type of stars she decides to call the X stars. She observes
that in an X star of mass M and radius R, the gas pressure in the center of the star is proportional
3
to M
R5 . What is the temperature at the center of the star proportional to?

(a) M R
M
(b) R
(c) M 2 R2
M2
(d) R2
(e) const

Solution:
From the equation of the ideal gas we have:

P 9ρT

substituting we get:

M3 M M2
9 T Ñ T 9
R5 R3 R2

Answer: D

23. VOIDED A recently discovered star Recentus in a nearby galaxy has been confirmed to have a
luminosity of 4Ld with a radius of 4Rd . What is the approximate frequency of peak emission
of Recentus?
(a) 2 ˆ 1014 Hz
(b) 4 ˆ 1014 Hz
(c) 6 ˆ 1014 Hz
(d) 8 ˆ 1014 Hz

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 (e) 10 ˆ 1014 Hz

Solution:
The luminosity L of a star in terms of its radius R and temperature T can be written using
Stefan-Boltzmann’s Law:

L “ 4πR2 σT 4
L
is constant, and we know that the luminosity and radius of Recentus are LR “ 4Ld
pR2 T 4 q
and RR “ 4Rd :

LR Ld
2 T 4 q “ pR2 T 4 q
pRR R d d

Td
TR “ ?
2
?
Using Wein’s law, the peak emission wavelength of this star is λR “ λd 2 « 710 nm and
the corresponding peak emission frequency is 4.2 ˆ 1014 Hz. Note that λd “ 502 nm can
be calculated from Wein’s constant and Td which are in the TOC.

Answer: B

24. Tara has become obsessed with X stars and decides to look for them in other galaxies. She
observes one on the edge of a galaxy with radius r “ 15 ˆ 103 pc. She estimates that the star is
moving with at a speed of v “ 270km{s. What is a good estimate for the mass of the galaxy in
unit mass of the sun?
(a) 1 ˆ 106
(b) 1 ˆ 1011
(c) 1 ˆ 1018
(d) 1 ˆ 1028
(e) 1 ˆ 1041

Solution: For a galaxy with mass M and an X star with mass m

GM m mv 2
2
“
R R

v2 R
M“ “
G
r “ 15 ˆ 103 pc and v “ 270km{s, so M “ 2.5 ˆ 1011 Md
This treats the galaxy as a rigid body of mass M and that the X star is at the edge of
the galaxy so the rest of the mass is concentrated inside the galaxy. The closest answer is
« 1 ˆ 1011 Md

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 Answer: B

25. There is a galaxy at redshift 0.5 for which we have a measurement for apparent bolometric
magnitude to be 22. With a standard candle in that galaxy, we have found its luminosity
distance to Earth to be 2.8 Gpc. Estimate the luminosity of this galaxy.

(a) 1010 Ld
(b) 1012 Ld
(c) 1011 Ld
(d) 1013 Ld
(e) 1015 Ld

Solution:
From the luminosity distance D in parsecs and the apparent magnitude m, we can calculate
the absolute magnitude M of the galaxy:

m “ M ´ 5 ` 5log10 D

The absolute magnitude of this galaxy is -20.24. From the absolute magnitude we can
calculate the luminosity of the star in terms of zero-point luminosity L0 “ 3.01 ˆ 1028 W
as:

L
M “ ´2.5log10
L0
´20.24
The luminosity L “ 10 ´2.5 L0 . Hence, L « 1010 Ld .

Answer: A

26. An astronomer wants to design a telescope so that the full moon fills the entire FOV of the
telescope. She uses an eyepiece with a FOV of 60˝ . If the focal length of the eyepiece is 25mm,
what will the focal length of the chosen telescope be?
Note that the angular diameter of the moon is 0.5˝ . Never look at the moon through a telescope
without proper precautions!
(a) 2000mm
(b) 1500mm
(c) 6000mm
(d) 3000mm
(e) 1000mm

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 Solution:
We can write magnification of a telescope in two ways:

ftelescope FOVeyepiece 60
m“ “ “
feyepiece FOVtelescope 0.5

Answer: D

27. The Cosmic Microwave Background is made of light that was replied when the Universe first
became transparent. It is a blackbody spectrum with temperature equal to the current temper-
ature of the Universe. We observe the peak wavelength of the CMB to be at 1.063 millimeters.
When the CMB was released, we can theoretically predict the temperature of the universe to
be 3000 Kelvins. How much larger was the density of matter when the CMB was released than
now? Select the closest answer.

(a) 103
(b) 106
(c) 109
(d) 1012
(e) 1015

Solution:
We use Wien’s law to find that the temperature of the CMB is 2.726 Kelvin. Then note
T “ Ta0 where a is the scale factor. We find a “ 1100.5. Now density of matter changes as
ρ “ aρ03 . Thus the answer is p1100.5q3 which is closest to 109

Answer: C

28. Questions 28-30 build upon the same prompt. Use data from any of the questions
for any of the other questions.
Moving into MIT for the start of the spring semester, Austin is flying from Lubbock, Texas
p33.58˝ N, 101.84˝ Wq to Boston, MA p42.36˝ N, 71.06˝ Wq. However, when he lands he finds
that he is not in Boston. The pilots entered the latitude coordinate incorrectly! But Austin
remembers that the plane left Lubbock at a bearing of 63˝ . Assume that the flight still took
the shortest path to the current destination. Where is Austin now?

(a) p51.46˝ N, 71.06˝ Wq

(b) p48.46˝ N, 71.06˝ Wq
(c) p45.46˝ N, 71.06˝ Wq
(d) p41.46˝ N, 71.06˝ Wq
(e) p39.46˝ N, 71.06˝ Wq

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 Solution:
Consider the spherical triangle with vertices Lubbock, the new location, and the North Pole,
and sides being the great circle paths connecting them (the plane travels in a great circle,
since it is traveling on the shortest path). Let the side connecting Boston and the North
Pole to be x. Side between Lubbock and North Pole “ p90˝ ´ 33.58˝ q “ 56.42˝ , and angle at
North Pole “ p101.84˝ ´ 71.06˝ q “ 30.79˝ . We can solve for x using the four-parts formula:

cosp56.42˝ q cosp30.79˝ q “ sinp56.42˝ q cotpxq ´ sinp30.79˝ q cotp63˝ q

x “ 48.54˝ .
This means the latitude of the new location is 90˝ ´ 48.54˝ “ 41.46˝ .

Answer: D

29. After that slight headache, Austin is back at MIT in Boston! For his astronomy research, he
is observing the LARES satellite which is a ball of diameter 36.4 cm made out of THA-18N
(a tungsten alloy). It orbits at a distance 1450 km from the surface of the Earth and at an
inclination of 69.49˝ relative to the equatorial plane. What is the highest altitude Austin can
point his telescope if he wants to observe LARES at its highest latitude?
(a) 9.4˝
(b) 14.4˝
(c) 18.4˝
(d) 23.4˝
(e) 33.4˝

Solution:
Let the radius of the Earth be R, the distance of LARES from the surface of the Earth
be H, LARES’ inclination be θ, latitude of Boston be ϕ, and the distance of LARES from
Boston be d. Consider the triangle with vertices of the center of the Earth, Boston, and
LARES’ maximal latitude position. (This triangle lies in the plane containing the North
and South poles). Then from Law of Cosines

d2 “ pH ` Rq2 ` R2 ´ 2RpH ` Rq cospθ ´ ϕq

d “ 3615 km.
Let the corresponding altitude be α. Then from Law of Sines

sinp90˝ ` αq sinpθ ´ ϕq
“
pH ` Rq d

α “ 9.4˝

Answer: A

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30. VOIDED Austin is now observing LARES, but in this problem he is allowed to observe LARES
at any declination. Assume that LARES is a uniform spherical ball, and for the purposes of this
problem, assume that LARES is a perfect blackbody; i.e. THA-18N has an albedo of 0. What
is the brightest apparent magnitude Austin can observe LARES? You can use the fact that the
Sun’s apparent magnitude is ´26.74.

(a) 6.78
(b) 7.77
(c) 8.76
(d) 9.75
(e) 10.74

Solution:
The shortest distance Austin can be from LARES is simply its orbiting distance (when
LARES is directly overhead Austin):

d “ 1450 km.

Let the radius of LARES be r. Power LARES receives from the Sun:
Ld
P “ πr2
4πp1AUq2

Flux LARES emits to Boston:

P Ld ´ r ¯2
F “ “
4πd2 16π 1AU ¨ d
Magnitude-Flux relation with the Sun:
˜ Ld ¸
4d2
ˆ ˙ ˆ ˙
Fd 4πp1AUq2
md ´ m “ ´2.5 log “ ´2.5 log ˘2 “ ´2.5 log ùñ
F Ld r2
` r
16π 1AU¨d

m “ 7.77

Answer: B

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