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Brechbill ch 13
Stars and Galaxies Vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
chromosphere | layer of the sun's atmosphere above the photosphere; color |
Polaris | the north star |
Proxima Centauri | next closest star to earth after the sun |
Sirius | brightest star in the night sky |
circumpolar | stars and constellations that seem to go around Polaris |
constellation | group of stars that form a pattern in the sky |
apparent magnitude | measure of the amount of light received by earth from a star; how bright it looks |
absolute magnitude | measure of the amount of light a star actually gives off; as if they were all the same distance away |
nebula | spinning cloud of dust and gas; the birth place of stars |
black hole | final stage of a massive star; gravity is so strong, not even light can escape |
light year | unit representing how far light travels in one year; used to record astronomical distances |
white dwarf | late stage of a low mass or main sequence star; outer layers escape leaving behind a HOT, DENSE CORE |
super giant | late stage of a massive star; stars core heats up and expands, leading to a supernova |
Red Shift | proves that stars and galaxies are moving away from earth because the wavelengths of light are stretched to the red end of the spectrum |
Big Bang Theory | states that 13.7 billion years ago, the universe began with a huge fiery explosion. |
galaxy | large group of stars, dust, and gasses held together by gravity; elliptical, spiral, or irregular |
neutron star | collapsed core of a supernova that contains only neutrons in its dense core |
red giant | late stage of a low mass or main sequence star; outer layers expand and cool; late stage of the sun |
main sequence | 90% of stars that are burning the hydrogen in their core; middle-aged stars; diagonal band on the HR diagram |
convection zone | circulation of gases in an area inside the sun |
photosphere | lowest layer of the sun's atmosphere; sometimes referred to as the surface of the sun; gives of LIGHT |
corona | outermost, largest layer of the sun's atmosphere; can be seen during a total solar eclipse |
sunspot | areas on the surface of the sun that are cooler and less bright. |