Life Cycle of a Star

Front

What is a protostar?

Back

A protostar is a stage in the life cycle of a star that forms when a nebula collapses under its own gravity, leading to a dense core that begins to heat up.

Front

Which type of star burns fuel the slowest and remains on the main sequence the longest?

Back

Red Dwarfs are the type of stars that burn fuel much slower than others, allowing them to stay on the main sequence for billions of years.

Front

What happens to the core of a Red Giant after it collapses?

Back

The core of a Red Giant collapses and becomes a White Dwarf.

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 neutron star?

Back

A neutron star is the remnant of a supernova explosion, composed mostly of densely packed neutrons, and can sometimes be observed as a pulsar.

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 resulting in the formation of a neutron star or black hole.

Front

Define a white dwarf.

Back

A white dwarf is a small, dense star that is the remnant of a star that has exhausted its nuclear fuel and shed its outer layers.

Front

What is the life cycle of a star?

Back

The life cycle of a star includes stages such as nebula, protostar, main sequence, red giant, supernova, and remnants like white dwarfs or black holes.

Front

What is a planetary nebula?

Back

A planetary nebula is a shell of gas that is ejected from a star during the later stages of its life, often surrounding a white dwarf.

Front

What is the main sequence?

Back

The main sequence is a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness, where stars spend most of their life cycle.