Vocabulary 1
What is a nebula?
A large cloud of gas and dust.
What kind of star fuses hydrogen to helium in the core.
A main sequence star.
What is a nuclear fusion?
When atoms are under such immense heat and pressure that they are forced together and combine to form a new element. This process releases a lot of energy.
What is a planetary nebula?
A ring shaped nebula formed by an expanding shell of gas around an aging small/medium mass star.
What is a supernova?
When the core of massive or supermassive star becomes completely iron and the star explodes.
What is the first stage of a star's life?
A protostar.
What will be the next phase of the Sun's life?
Red giant.
Where and why do blue stragglers occur.
What is a black hole?
A spot in space where the gravity is so strong that no light is emitted. Occurs when a supermassive star dies.
What is a brown dwarf?
A failed star that did not gain enough mass to begin fusion in its protostar phase.
What is the difference between a red giant and a red supergiant?
Red giants fuse helium to carbon. Red supergiants fuse helium to iron.
The longest stage of a star's life is?
The main sequence phase.
What is a white dwarf?
The stellar remains of a small/medium mass star that is no longer fusing and shines due to leftover energy.
What is a neutron star?
When the core of a massive star collapses, protons and electrons are forced together in the core. If the resulting neutrons can prevent the core from collapsing entirely, a neutron star is formed.
List two differences between open clusters and globular clusters.
Open clusters: younger stars, not gravitationally bound, smaller/less stars, located in the arms of the Milky Way.
Globular clusters: older stars, gravitationally bound, larger/more stars, located in the halo of the Milky Way.
Explain the importance of spectral lines.
What is a Type 1a supernova?
Occurs when either two white dwarfs collide or a white dwarf siphons material from a close by red giant. In either case - an explosion lacking hydrogen spectral lines occurs.
List all the phases of the life cycle of a small/medium mass star.
Nebula - Protostar - Main Sequence Star - Red Giant - Planetary Nebula - White Dwarf - Black Dwarf.
List all the life cycle phases of a ridiculously supermassive star.
Nebula - Protostar - Main Sequence Star - Red Supergiant - Type II Supernova - Black Hole.
What is the life cycle of a red dwarf star?
Nebula - Protostar - Main Sequence Star - White Dwarf - Black Dwarf