The Sun
Which two elements make up the Sun and most other stars?
Hydrogen and Helium
Which two planets in our solar system have no moons?
Mercury and Venus
What is a nebula? What does it have to do with stars?
What is a supernova?
An explosion that occurs when a huge star runs out of fuel, causing its core to collapse on itself, resulting in an extreme amount of energy
What is the distance of one astronomical unit?
the distance between the Sun and the Earth
What is nuclear fusion and how is it relevant to the Sun and stars?
The process by which atoms combine to form heavier atoms. It creates the fuel for stars
Which planet in the solar system has the most moons?
Saturn
What is a black hole?
An object with a gravity so strong that nothing, not even light can escape it
What is a protostar?
The first stage of a star's formation involving a contracting cloud of gas and dust
What is a lightyear?
The distance that light travels in one year, equal to 9.46 trillion km
What are the three layers of the Sun's atmosphere from innermost to outermost?
Photosphere, Chromosphere, Corona
What are the three differences between the inner and outer planets
Inner: small, closer to the Sun, and made primarily of rock and metal.
Outer: larger, farther from the Sun, and made primarily of gases.
What is a white dwarf?
A small, planet-sized star that is 1000000 times denser, has no fuel, but glows faintly from leftover energy
What is a neutron star?
A small, dense star that forms after a supernova
What is an asteroid? Where are more asteroids found?
Small, mostly rocky bodies, many of which are found in a belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
What are the three zones of the Sun's interior from innermost to outermost?
Core, Radiative Zone, Convection Zone
What is the order of the eight planets from closest to the Sun to farthest?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
What is a pulsar?
A rapidly spinning neutron star that gives off pulses of radio waves
What are the five characteristics that astronomers use to classify stars?
color, temperature, size, composition, and brightness
What is the difference between apparent brightness and absolute brightness?
Apparent brightness: brightness of a star as seen from Earth
Absolute brightness: brightness a star would have if it were at a standard distance from Earth
What are sunspots, and what are their relationship to prominences and solar flares?
Sunspots are dark areas on the Sun's surface. Prominences are huge loops of polarized plasma that link different parts of sunspot regions. When the prominences connect, they form a solar flare which releases huge amounts of magnetic energy
What are the names of the five dwarf planets?
Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris
List the stages of the small/medium mass star's life cycle
List the stages of a large mass star's life cycle
Protostar, large mass star, supergiant, supernova, either neutron star or black hole
According to the H-R Diagram, what category do most stars fall under?
Main Sequence