Astronomy Flashcards

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Main Sequence (Star)

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Classifying stars using a graph of spectrum versus luminosity that presents a band of 90% of the stellar types and also shows the various stages of stars throughout their lifetime.

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Black Hole

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A region of spacetime where gravity's strength becomes so great that matter and electromagnetic radiation cannot escape.

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Galaxy

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A stellar object that consists of stars, planets, and vast clouds of gas and dust, all bound together by gravity.

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Blueshift/Redshift

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The shift in the electromagnetic radiation from an object that corresponds to the movement of the observed object.

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Cosmic Microwave Background

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The radiation that fills the universe and is believed to be a relic of the Big Bang.

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Supernova

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An explosion that occurs when a large star reaches a critical state and releases a large amount of energy and mass.

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Light Year

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A distance equal to 9.4607 x 10¹² km or the distance light would travel in a year's time.

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Nebula

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A cloud of dust and gas that is suspended in space and can be seen due to the luminous matter surrounding it.

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Dark Matter

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The unknown matter that makes up a portion of our universe and interacts with visible matter and electromagnetic radiation.

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Astronomical Unit

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A unit of measurement based on the distance of the Earth from the Sun.