Life Cycle of a Star

Front

What process marks the birth of a star?

Back

Nuclear fusion is the process that marks the birth of a star.

Front

What is a stellar nebula made up of?

Back

A stellar nebula is made up of clouds of gas and dust.

Front

What do H-R diagrams show about stars?

Back

H-R diagrams show the brightness and temperature of stars.

Front

In which stage do stars spend most of their life, fusing hydrogen into helium?

Back

Stars spend most of their life in the main-sequence stage.

Front

What is the term for the gigantic explosion that signifies the death of a large star?

Back

The term is supernova.

Front

What is nuclear fusion?

Back

Nuclear fusion is the process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy.

Front

What is a protostar?

Back

A protostar is a stage in the formation of a star, where gas and dust collapse under gravity but nuclear fusion has not yet begun.

Front

What is a red giant?

Back

A red giant is a late stage in a star's life cycle when it has exhausted the hydrogen in its core and expands.

Front

What is a black hole?

Back

A black hole is a region of space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it.

Front

What is the main sequence?

Back

The main sequence is a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness.