Astronomy Star Formation and Distance

Vast areas filled with very cold gas & dust between stars is known as

• one big empty area in space.

• "cosmic fluff."

• the interstellar medium.

• the interstellar void.

How did the gas & dust between the stars & in all corners of the Universe get there?

• the result of planetary collisions & explosions

• by the gravitational attraction of supermassive black holes

• the Big Bang created it all

• the result of leftover remnants of previous stars

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-2

Some examples of the interstellar medium (or "nebula") clouds include

• areas in the Small & Large Magellanic clouds (SMC & LMC).

• the Orion nebula.

• the Horcrux nebula.

• Sagittarius "A" (SGR A*).

The interstellar medium & nebula clouds are important because

• the Big Bang would've never occurred without them.

• black holes would never exist if the clouds were not there.

• they make up the space between the stars.

• they are regions for new star formation.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

What causes the interstellar clouds to collapse to form proto-stars & stars?

• centripetal forces that act over large areas between stars

• a contraction & clumping of gas/dust due to gravity

• a contraction & clumping of gas/dust due to frictional force

• a "trigger" mechanism such as two colliding stars

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-4

Eventually a "snowball effect" occurs in a contracting gas/dust cloud which causes

• material to slowly build up into one or more proto-stars.

• a cascading avalanche of star material spreading everywhere.

• massive clumps of ice/snow to form.

• a net effect of negatively charged explosive plasma/ions.

Proto-stars are also known as ____ for the constellation in which the first one was observed.

• neutron stars

• very hot fusion orbs

• T Tauri stars

• A Tari stars.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

T Tauri stars give off very little heat and are mostly ____ except for in the infrared.

• blue in color

• rare to find

• invisible

• yellow/white in color

When enough mass is accreted by a proto-star then ____ occurs at the core.

• atomic reactions

• nuclear fusion

• massive pressure

• nuclear fission

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What happens when a proto-star begins the hydrogen/fusion energy process in its core?

• mayhem & destruction ensues

• the proto-star becomes (officially) a real star

• no one really knows since it hasn't been observed (yet)

• the proto-star may explode due to the outward pressure

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3