Show:
Stars
Stars Life Cycle
Star Formation
Types of Stars
100

What is the main source of energy for a star?

  • What is nuclear fusion?
100

What phase follows the main sequence in a star's life cycle?

  • What is the red giant phase?
100

What is the primary ingredient for star formation?

What is gas and dust in a nebula?

100

What are the two main classifications of stars based on temperature?

  • What are hot (blue) stars and cool (red) stars?
200

What do we call small stars?

What is a dwarf star?

200

What is a supernova?

  • What is the explosive death of a massive star, resulting in the release of energy and material into space?
200

Describe what happens in a protostar.

  • A protostar forms when a cloud of gas and dust collapses under its own gravity, heating up and eventually leading to nuclear fusion.
200

What type of star is our Sun classified as?

  • What is a main-sequence star?
300

Describe the difference between a red giant and a main sequence star.

  • A red giant is a late stage of a star's life cycle, where it expands and cools after exhausting its hydrogen fuel, while a main sequence star is in the stable phase of its life, fusing hydrogen into helium.
300

Describe what happens to a star that is less massive than the Sun after it exhausts its nuclear fuel.

  • It becomes a white dwarf after shedding its outer layers and leaving behind a hot core.
300

What role do molecular clouds play in star formation?

  • Molecular clouds are dense regions of gas and dust where star formation occurs, providing the raw materials for new stars.
300

Describe a binary star system.

  • A binary star system consists of two stars that orbit around a common center of mass.
400

What do astronomers use to measure the brightness of stars?

What is the magnitude scale? Or what is luminosity?

400

What determines whether a star will become a neutron star or a black hole?

  • What is the mass of the star after it has undergone a supernova explosion?
400

Explain the process of accretion in star formation.

  • Accretion is the process where particles collide and stick together, gradually building up the mass of a protostar as it gathers material from its surroundings.
400

What is a red dwarf star?

  • A red dwarf is a small and cool star on the main sequence, known for its long lifespan and low brightness.
500

Explain the concept of a light year and how it relates to the distance of stars.

  • A light year is the distance that light travels in one year, approximately 5.88 trillion miles, used to measure astronomical distances. Or 6 trillion miles
500

Outline the stages of a massive star's life cycle from birth to death.

  • A massive star forms from a nebula, enters the main sequence, evolves into a red supergiant, undergoes a supernova, and can become either a neutron star or a black hole.
500

How do gravitational forces influence star formation?

  • Gravitational forces cause regions of high density within a nebula to collapse, leading to the formation of stars.
500

Explain the significance of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in classifying stars.

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram plots stars based on their luminosity and temperature, revealing patterns in stellar evolution and classification.