Life Cycle of a Star

Front

What is a star?

Back

A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. The Sun is an example of a star.

Front

What do all stars start as?

Back

All stars start as a nebula, which is a large cloud of gas and dust in space.

Front

What is a supernova?

Back

A supernova is the explosion of a red supergiant star at the end of its life cycle.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

Front

Which characteristic of stars is most closely related to their temperature?

Back

Color is the characteristic of stars that is most closely related to their temperature.

Front

What happens to the most massive stars when they die?

Back

The most massive stars become black holes when they die.

Front

What is a nebula?

Back

A nebula is a giant cloud of gas and dust in space, where new stars are born.

Front

What is a black hole?

Back

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

Front

What is a protostar?

Back

A protostar is an early stage in the formation of a star, where the gas and dust are collapsing under gravity.

Front

What is the life cycle of a star?

Back

The life cycle of a star includes stages: nebula, protostar, main sequence star, red giant or supergiant, and then either a supernova or a black hole.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

Front

What is the main sequence?

Back

The main sequence is a stage in a star's life cycle where it fuses hydrogen into helium in its core.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1