Astronomy Basics

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What is luminosity?

Back

The total amount of electromagnetic energy emitted per unit of time by a star, galaxy, or other astronomical object.

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What is absolute magnitude?

Back

How bright stars would appear to be if they were all the same distance away.

Front

What are main sequence stars?

Back

A continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness.

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What are giant stars?

Back

Any star having a relatively large radius for its mass and temperature.

Front

What is a white dwarf?

Back

A small very dense star that is typically the size of a planet.

Front

What is a supernova?

Back

A powerful and luminous explosion of a star.

Front

What is the relationship between the color and the temperature of a star?

Back

The surface temperature of a star determines its color. Blue stars are hotter than yellow stars, which are hotter than red stars.