Characteristics of Stars GN

Front

What does the luminosity of a star describe?

Back

The luminosity of a star describes its brightness.

Front

What is the name of the north star?

Back

The north star is called Polaris.

Front

What are constellations?

Back

Constellations are groups of stars that form patterns.

Front

What type of star is our Sun classified as?

Back

Our Sun is classified as a Main Sequence star.

Front

Why might two stars with the same apparent magnitude not have the same absolute magnitude?

Back

They are at different distances from Earth.

Front

What is apparent magnitude?

Back

Apparent magnitude is a measure of how bright a star appears from Earth.

Front

What is absolute magnitude?

Back

Absolute magnitude is a measure of the intrinsic brightness of a star at a standard distance of 10 parsecs.

Front

What is the difference between a red giant and a white dwarf?

Back

A red giant is a large, luminous star in a late stage of evolution, while a white dwarf is a small, dense remnant of a star that has exhausted its nuclear fuel.

Front

What is a light year?

Back

A light year is the distance that light travels in one year, approximately 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers).

Front

What is the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?

Back

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is a scatter plot of stars showing the relationship between their absolute magnitudes and their stellar classifications.