Tod-des-Stern (Todesstern) / Death-of-Stars (Deathstar)

Identify the Cat's Paw Nebula (Katzenpfotennebel)

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Why was this constellation named "cat constellation"

• The name comes from the Latin word "cattus", which means "small" or "dim", since the stars in this constellation are relatively faint and hard to see

• The ancient Egyptians believed that the stars in this constellation represented the goddess Bastet, who was often depicted as a cat

• As a cat lover, he felt sorry that there wasn't one named after a cat

• Because of an ancient legend that tells of a magical cat who transformed into the stars as a reward for saving a group of humans from danger

Answer explanation

The Cat's Eye Nebula is part of what constellation?

Hint: Part of the North Star

• Dog

• Cat

• Mouse

• Dragon

Answer explanation

What are Stars made of?

• Primarily plasma

• Primarily out of hydrogen and helium

• Out of gas and dust

• Primarily molten rock or metal

Answer explanation

Primarily Plasma: This answer is partially true, since stars are composed of ionized gas, which is a state of matter known as plasma. However, it doesn't give the full picture of what elements make up that plasma, which is primarily hydrogen and helium.

Molten rock or metal: While this might sound plausible at first, it's not accurate. Molten rock and metal are associated with planetary bodies, but not with stars, which are instead composed of gas and plasma.

Gas and Dust: While it's true that stars are formed from clouds of gas and dust, this answer doesn't accurately describe what stars are made of once they start burning. The gas in stars is primarily hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of other elements, while the dust is largely consumed or expelled during the star's formation.

What happens when a large star dies?

• When a star dies, it simply fades away and disappears.

• When a star dies, it becomes a planet or a moon.

• It explodes in a supernova and forms either a neutron star or a black hole.

• When a star dies, it becomes a black hole.

Answer explanation

When a large star exhausts its fuel, the core collapses under its own weight, triggering nuclear reactions that can create heavy elements. The core eventually becomes so dense that it collapses into a neutron star or black hole, while the outer layers of the star explode in a supernova. The shock wave can trigger the formation of new celestial objects, while the core will continue to evolve in its new form.

What is an event horizon?

• The point at which a comet passes closest to the sun

• The point at which a star explodes into a supernova

• The region around a star where planets are likely to form

• The boundary surrounding a black hole where nothing can escape from

Answer explanation

The event horizon of a black hole is the point of no return beyond which no information, not even light, can escape the gravitational pull of the black hole. It is the boundary that separates the region from which escape is possible (outside the event horizon) from the region where escape is impossible (inside the event horizon).

What is the mass of the supermassive Blackhole at the center of the Milky Way? (compared to our sun)

• 500 thousand

  times

• 4 million times

• 1 million times

• 6 million times

Answer explanation

Sagittarius A* is the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, estimated to have a mass of around 4 million times that of the sun. Its presence can be inferred from the behavior of stars and gas around it. While currently in a low accretion state, it provides valuable insights into the behavior of supermassive black holes.

How do black holes "die"?

• By exploding in a supernova, just like massive stars

• They loose mass and evaporate slowly over time

• They don't "die", rather they'll exist until the end of the universe

• By consuming too much matter, causing them to become unstable and explode

Answer explanation

Hawking radiation is a phenomenon predicted by physicist Stephen Hawking, where black holes emit particles due to quantum effects near the event horizon. This radiation causes the black hole to slowly lose mass over time until it eventually evaporates, which can take an extremely long time for massive black holes. Hawking radiation has important implications for the thermodynamics of black holes and the ultimate fate of these objects.

What is a neutron star?

• A collapsed star composed almost entirely of neutrons

• A type of white dwarf star

• A star that is burning up its remaining fuel rapidly

• A type of red giant star

Answer explanation

A neutron star is a type of compact star that is formed when a massive star undergoes gravitational collapse after running out of fuel. The core of the star collapses so that the protons and electrons combine to form neutrons, resulting in a star composed almost entirely of neutrons.

What is the approximate size of a typical neutron star?

• About the size of the Moon

• About the size of a small asteroid

• About the size of Earth

• About the size of a large planet

Answer explanation

Neutron stars are extremely compact objects, with an average radius of only about 10 km (6 miles). This is roughly the size of a small asteroid, and much smaller than a typical star.