Unit 3 Review

Front

What is a star?

Back

A celestial body made up of gas that is hot enough for nuclear fusion to occur.

Front

What is the difference between apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude?

Back

Apparent magnitude is how bright a star appears from Earth, while absolute magnitude is the intrinsic brightness of a star at a standard distance of 10 parsecs.

Front

What gases are stars primarily composed of?

Back

Hydrogen and Helium.

Front

What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?

Back

Spiral.

Front

What characterizes spiral galaxies?

Back

They contain billions of stars with older stars near the center and younger stars on the arms.

Front

What is nuclear fusion?

Back

A process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy.

Front

What is the life cycle of a star?

Back

Stars form from clouds of gas and dust, go through stages like main sequence, red giant, and end as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes.

Front

What is a light-year?

Back

A unit of distance that represents how far light travels in one year, approximately 5.88 trillion miles.

Front

What is the significance of a star's temperature?

Back

A star's temperature affects its color, brightness, and stage in the stellar life cycle.

Front

What is the difference between a galaxy and a star?

Back

A galaxy is a massive system containing billions of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, while a star is a single celestial body.