Stars and Galaxies Review

Front

What is an elliptical galaxy?

Back

A type of galaxy that has little gas and is composed mainly of old stars.

Front

What characterizes a spiral galaxy?

Back

A galaxy with a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas, and dust, along with a central concentration of stars known as the bulge.

Front

What is the surface temperature of White Dwarf stars compared to Red Supergiants?

Back

White Dwarf stars have a higher surface temperature than Red Supergiants.

Front

What is the first stage of a star's life cycle?

Back

Nebula - a cloud of gas and dust where stars are born.

Front

What type of star is known for having low temperature and high luminosity?

Back

Red Supergiants.

Front

What is a nebula?

Back

A large cloud of gas and dust in space, often the birthplace of stars.

Front

Define a main sequence star.

Back

A star that is in the stable phase of its life cycle, fusing hydrogen into helium in its core.

Front

What is a Red Giant?

Back

A late stage in a star's life cycle where it expands and cools after exhausting hydrogen in its core.

Front

What is the difference between a star and a galaxy?

Back

A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma, while a galaxy is a vast system of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter.

Front

What is the significance of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?

Back

It is a scatter plot of stars showing the relationship between their absolute magnitudes or luminosities versus their stellar classifications or effective temperatures.