The Life of the Sun
The process that powers the Sun and produces its energy.
What is nuclear fusion?
The shift in light observed from distant galaxies, indicating the universe is expanding.
What is redshift?
The process by which stars create heavier elements over their lifetimes.
What is nucleosynthesis?
The force that governs the motion of objects in orbit.
What is gravity?
The reason we experience different phases of the Moon.
What is the changing relative position of the Moon, Earth, and Sun?
The energy produced by nuclear fusion in the Sun eventually reaches Earth in this form.
What is sunlight?
The remnant radiation from the Big Bang that scientists observe today.
What is the Cosmic Background Radiation?
This is the first stage in the life cycle of a star, where gas and dust begin to condense.
What is a protostar?
This scientist's laws describe the motion of planets around the Sun.
Who is Johannes Kepler?
This cycle causes changes in temperature and day length on Earth throughout the year.
What are the seasons?
This is the layer of the Sun where nuclear fusion occurs.
What is the core?
The two primary elements predicted by the Big Bang theory to make up most of the universe’s matter.
What are hydrogen and helium?
The remnant left behind after a supernova if the original star was massive enough.
What is a black hole?
The path planets follow around the Sun due to gravitational attraction.
What is an orbit?
The type of eclipse that occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun.
What is a solar eclipse?
Our local star, the Sun is currently in this phase of its life cycle.
What is the main sequence?
This phenomenon, involving the red shift of galaxies, provides evidence for the expansion of the universe.
What is the Doppler effect?
The outer layers of a dying low-mass star are ejected into space, forming this glowing cloud of gas.
What is a planetary nebula?
The mathematical law that was created by a prominent 17th century scientist and is used to predict the motion of objects in orbit based on their distance and mass.
What is Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation?
The ocean phenomenon caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun.
What are tides?
The stage of the Sun’s life cycle it will enter when it begins fusing helium.
What is the red giant phase?
The type of radiation observed from stars that shows the composition of matter in the universe.
What is electromagnetic radiation?
This element is produced during the final stages of a massive star’s life and signals the end of nuclear fusion.
What is iron?
The orbital shape that most planets follow around the Sun.
What is an ellipse?
The period of time it takes for the Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth.
What is approximately 27.3 days?