8.8A : Level 1 Vocabulary

Front

What is a star?

Back

A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity, undergoing nuclear fusion in its core, which produces light and heat.

Front

What is a comet?

Back

A comet is an icy body in space that, when passing close to the sun, heats up and begins to release gases, forming a glowing coma and often a tail.

Front

What is an asteroid?

Back

An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the sun, primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Front

What is a nebula?

Back

A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space, often the birthplace of stars, where new stars are formed from the material.

Front

What are the main components of a comet?

Back

The main components of a comet include the nucleus (solid core), coma (cloud of gas and dust), and tail (streamers of gas and dust particles).

Front

How do stars form?

Back

Stars form from the gravitational collapse of gas and dust in a nebula, leading to nuclear fusion when the core temperature and pressure become high enough.

Front

What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?

Back

The main difference is that comets are icy bodies that develop tails when near the sun, while asteroids are rocky bodies that do not have tails.

Front

What role do nebulae play in the universe?

Back

Nebulae serve as the primary sites for star formation and can also be remnants of dead or dying stars.

Front

What is the lifecycle of a star?

Back

The lifecycle of a star includes stages such as stellar nebula, main sequence, red giant, and ultimately either a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.

Front

What is a supernova?

Back

A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion that occurs at the end of a star's life cycle, often resulting in the formation of a neutron star or black hole.