Unit 3 Components of the Universe

Front

What is the H-R Diagram?

Back

The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram (H-R Diagram) is a scatter plot of stars showing the relationship between their absolute magnitudes or luminosities versus their stellar classifications or effective temperatures.

Front

What are the main categories of stars on the H-R Diagram?

Back

The main categories are: Main Sequence, Giants, Supergiants, and White Dwarfs.

Front

What defines a 'supergiant' star?

Back

Supergiants are very large stars that are much brighter than the Sun, despite having lower temperatures.

Front

What is a 'main sequence' star?

Back

Main sequence stars are in a stable phase of their life cycle, where they fuse hydrogen into helium in their cores, like our Sun.

Front

What is an 'elliptical galaxy'?

Back

Elliptical galaxies are smooth, featureless, and have an ellipsoidal shape, containing older stars and little gas and dust.

Front

What is an 'irregular galaxy'?

Back

Irregular galaxies do not have a distinct regular shape and are often chaotic in appearance, containing young stars and high amounts of gas and dust.

Front

What is a 'white dwarf'?

Back

A white dwarf is a small, dense star that is the remnant of a low or medium mass star after it has exhausted its nuclear fuel.

Front

What is a 'supernova'?

Back

A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion that occurs at the end of a star's life cycle, often leading to the formation of a neutron star or black hole.

Front

What is a 'nebula'?

Back

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

Front

How do stars form?

Back

Stars form from the gravitational collapse of gas and dust in a nebula, leading to nuclear fusion in the core.