8th Grade Science Mid-Term Vocabulary

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galaxy

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a system of stars and associated matter held together by gravitational attraction

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

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Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

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a diagram that shows the relationship between the brightness, surface temperature, and color of stars

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luminosity

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total amount of light (energy) emitted by a star or other celestial body

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-3

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star

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luminous globe of gas which produces its own heat and light by nuclear reaction made of mostly hydrogen and helium gas

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neutron star

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the small, dense remains of a high-mass star after a supernova

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protostar

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A contracting cloud of gas and dust with enough mass to form a star

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giant

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a very large star of high luminosity and low surface temperature.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

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spectral class

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(or spectral type) the classification of stars according to their temperatures; sun is G

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white dwarf

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A small, hot, dim star that is the leftover center of an old star

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

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temperature

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A measure of how hot or cold something is, associated with the color of a star and plotted on the X-axis of an HR diagram

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-4