Vocabulary
What vocabulary term describes the brightness of a star seen from Earth?
Apparent Brightness
What are the main elements found in the sun? (2)
Hydrogen and helium.
90% of stars fall along a curved band of space, this band is called the ______________________.
Main sequence
A low-mass star expands into this after leaving the main sequence.
Red Giant
Which are older: Population I or Population II stars?
Population II
A unit equal to the distance light travels in one year. (9,500 trillion kilometers)
Light-year.
What are the three inner pieces of the sun's structure? (3)
Core, Radiative zone, Convection zone.
Stars spend most of their life in this stage.
Main sequence.
This glowing cloud of gas forms when a low-mass star sheds its outer layers.
Planetary Nebula
What is the feature found in the corona that are red, flame-like jets of gas that rise out of the corona and travel into space.
Prominence(s)
This diagram compares stars based on luminosity/brightness and temperature.
H-R Diagram
What are the outer pieces of the sun's structure (3).
Photosophere, Chromosphere, Corona.
This property is one of the most important factors determining how a star will evolve.
Mass
This small, dense stellar remnant is left behind after a low-mass star dies.
White Dwarf
What are the visible features that can be seen on the sun’s external layers?
Photosphere: Granulation and Sunspots
Chromosphere: Spicules, Corona, and Prominences
This unit of astronomical distance is equal to approximately 3.26 light-years.
Parasec
This is the Sun's outermost atmospheric layer and can extend millions of kilometers into space.
Corona
Why does a high-mass star generally have a shorter lifetime than a low-mass star?
Massive stars use/fuse their nuclear fuel much faster.
Put these stages of a Sun-like star (low-mass) in order: white dwarf, planetary nebula, red giant, main sequence.
Main sequence → red giant → planetary nebula → white dwarf
How does energy move from the sun's core to its surface?
Energy is generated in the core travels (as photons) through the radiative zone, photosphere, and through convection zone (form granules).