The reciprocal of the parallax is taken. For example, if the stellar parallax is 1 second, the distance is 1/1 = 1 parsec; if the parallax is 0.1 second, the distance is 1/0.1 = 10 parsecs, etc.
The closer the star is the farther the parallax shift, the father away the less of a parallax shift. For instance put your thumb in front of your eyes. Then also Aline the thumb on a object in the background. Close the eye that dose not have thumb in front of it. Then close the other eye. Now put your thumb far away from you and close one of your eyes. Then do the same for the other. I hope this cleared up the confusion.
There are lots of true statements about this topic.
It is not a particularly useful method for measuring the distance to stars which are in the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun.
It only works for relatively close stars.
stellar parallax
Parallax
Astronomers use a method called parallax to measure the distance to nearby stars. Astronomers can measure parallax by measuring the position of a nearby star with respect to the distant stars behind it. Then, they measure the same stars again six months later when the Earth is on the opposite side of its orbit.
What must be known is the distance. And the most accurate method to measure the distance of nearby stars is the parallax - but this method won't work for stars that are far away.
They use trigonometry to determine the distance to nearby stars. They measure the star's positions at one point in time, and again six months later, calibrating against the backdrop of the far distant stars. The nearby stars will show a parallax shift in position, so they calculate a triangle, with the Earth at two points, and the base 186 million miles long. The star is the third point on the triangle, and it is simple trigonometry from there to figure out the distance.
parallax
stellar parallax
Parallax
For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.For nearby stars, the parallax method gives the most accurate measure of distances.
For nearby stars, the parallax method is used.
Astronomers use a method called parallax to measure the distance to nearby stars. Astronomers can measure parallax by measuring the position of a nearby star with respect to the distant stars behind it. Then, they measure the same stars again six months later when the Earth is on the opposite side of its orbit.
REdA HaHa
What must be known is the distance. And the most accurate method to measure the distance of nearby stars is the parallax - but this method won't work for stars that are far away.
The parallax refers to the apparent change in the star's position, due to Earth's movement around the Sun. This parallax can be used to measure the distance to nearby stars (the closer the star, the larger will its parallax be).
They use trigonometry to determine the distance to nearby stars. They measure the star's positions at one point in time, and again six months later, calibrating against the backdrop of the far distant stars. The nearby stars will show a parallax shift in position, so they calculate a triangle, with the Earth at two points, and the base 186 million miles long. The star is the third point on the triangle, and it is simple trigonometry from there to figure out the distance.
Doug Fany answer: Parallax
Stellar parallax