Spectral Analysis
What color on the visible spectrum has the largest wavelength?
Red
What is process where two small atomic nuclei combine to form a larger nucleus, releasing a huge amount of energy.
Nuclear Fusion
White Dwarf
What are the three main types of stars?
Low mass, Sun-like, and Massive
Our sun is currently in what stage of its life cycle?
Main sequence.
A stars emission spectra is shifted towards the red end of the visible spectrum. What does this mean for its motion?
Moving away from us.
The process of fusing heavier and heavier elements as you get closer to a stars core.
Nucleosynthesis
Our sun can be classified as a...
Main Sequence star
What is the main factor that determines what the life cycle of a star will look like?
The stars mass.
Other than visible light, what other form of radiation does the sun emit that we can feel on Earth?
Ultraviolet
What can spectral analysis tell us about a star? (hint: two answers)
Composition and Motion.
What is the third stage of nucleosynthesis in a star?
Carbon Fusion (C ---> O)
About how long will it take the star "Spica" to go through its lifetime?
1 x 10^7 years
Over what time scales will a Massive star go through its whole life cycle?
Millions of years.
In a few billion years our sun will transition into a...
Red Giant
Which element shows 4 bright lines in the visible spectrum?
Hydrogen
How long does it take to fuse Iron in the core of a star.
1 day
What star type and spectral class is the star "Betelgeuse"? (two answers)
Supergiant, M class.
What type of stars shed their outer layers into a planetary nebula?
Sun-like stars
If our sun were more massive, what would it end its life as instead of a white dwarf?
neutron star or black hole.
Which element has a bright yellow line and several violet lines, making it distinguishable from hydrogen?
Helium
Why does Iron fusion only take place in the core of a star.
The core has the highest temperatures and pressures, making it a high energy environment capable of iron fusion.
Depending on its location on the HR diagram, what can we tell about a star?
Where it is in its lifecycle.
Which star type lasts the longest, why?
Low mass stars, lower energy (burn through their fuel slowly)
How long is a solar cycle?
11 years