Life Cycle of Stars Vocabulary

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What is a White Dwarf?

Back

The remaining core of a planet-sized star that has exhausted all of its nuclear fuel.

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What is a Protostar?

Back

A young star in the early stages of formation when nuclear fusion begins.

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What is a Neutron Star?

Back

An extremely dense star that results from the gravitational collapse of a high mass star after a supernova.

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What is a Supernova?

Back

An extremely bright explosion of a high to extremely high mass star.

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What is a Black Dwarf?

Back

A dead star that no longer gives off light or heat.

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What is a Nebula?

Back

A giant cloud of gas and dust in space, often the birthplace of stars.

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What is the Main Sequence?

Back

A continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness.

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What is a Black Hole?

Back

A region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.

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What is Stellar Evolution?

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The process by which a star changes over the course of time.

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What is Nuclear Fusion?

Back

The process by which two or more atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy.