6th Grade Sun And Stars Study Guide

Question 1

Life Cycle of Star

Answer 1

1. Protostar- earliest stage of star’s life
2. Low or medium-mass star - last longer - turns to red giant then white dwarf then black dwarf
3. high mass star have shorter lifetimes (brilliant super giants)then explode into supernova can form a neutron star
4. Red Giant Star/Super Giant
5. Planetary Nebula Super Nova
6. Low mass starsWhite Dwarf Pulsars Black Hole

Question 2

Why are some stars brighter than others?

Answer 2

Some stars appear brighter because they are closer to us

Question 3

Describe the comparative sizes of the following space objects
Red Giant Star
Galaxy
Supernova
Solar System

Answer 3

4
1
3
2

Question 4

Prominence

Answer 4

A huge, reddish loop of gas that protrudes from the sun’s surface

Question 5

Sunspot

Answer 5

A dark spot on the sun that is cooler

Question 6

Corona

Answer 6

The outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere

Question 7

Solar Flare

Answer 7

An eruption of gas from the sun’s surface that occurs when the loops in the sunspot regions suddenly connect

Question 8

Photosphere

Answer 8

The inner layer of the sun that gives off visible light

Question 9

Chromosphere

Answer 9

The middle layer of the sun’s atmosphere

Question 10

Spiral Galaxy

Answer 10

Bulge in the middle arms set spiral outwards (like pinwheels) young stars arms contain gas, dust and many bright young stars

Question 11

Elliptical Galaxies

Answer 11

contains billions of stars but that has little gas between the stars. Look like round or flattened balls.

Question 12

Irregular Galaxies

Answer 12

Do not have regular shapes. Typically smaller than other types of galaxies, irregular. Have many bright, young stars, and lots of gas and dust to form new stars.

Question 13

What are the characteristics used to classify stars?

Color and Temperature?

Answer 13

The Star’s color reveals its surface temperature (the coolest stars appear red, the hottest stars, with surface temperatures over 20,000 appear bluish). The sun in the middle appears yellow

Question 14

Be able to define the term, parallax, and describe how it is used by astronomers

Answer 14

Parallax - the apparent change in position of an object when you look at it from different places

Question 15

Know the difference between absolute brightness and apparent brightness

Answer 15

AB- the brightness the star would have if it were at a standard distance from Barth.

Question 16

Ap

Answer 16

Its brightness seen from Earth

Question 17

Mercury

Answer 17

No atmosphere, flat plains and clusters

Question 18

Earth

Answer 18

90% water perfect planet

Question 19

Venus

Answer 19

Thick clouds hottest planet

Question 20

Mars

Answer 20

Had water, ice caps now, red planet, 95% carbon dioxide atmosphere

Question 21

Review the asteroid belt, the Kuiper belt, the Oort Cloud

Answer 21

See image

Question 22

Chemical Composition - describe for stars

Answer 22

Chemical composition - most are 73% hydrogen, 25% helium and 2% Sodium and Calcium- close to composition of sun

Question 23

Describe what brightness of stars means?

Answer 23

Apparent Brightness - brightness seen from Earth

Absolute Brightness - the brightness the star would have if at a standard distance from the Earth

Question 24

Describe size of stars

Answer 24

Most stars are smaller than the sun. White dwarf stars are the size of earth. Neutron stars are smaller (20km in diameter) Giant stars and supergiant stars are Very large stars

Question 25

What is an H-R Diagram and How do Astronomers use it??

Answer 25

Einarsdottir Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell made graphs to find out if the temperature and the absolute brightness are related. THe H-R diagram shows the relationship between surface temperature and absolute brightness of stars. The points form a pattern. Classified stars. Main Sequence stars. Bright stars at top and dim stars at bottom.

Question 26

Quasars

Answer 26

Active young galaxies with huge black holes at their centers

Question 27

Spectrograph

Answer 27

Definition?

Question 28

What is the Big Bang Theory?

Answer 28

Theory- formed in an instant, billion years ago in an enormous explosion.

Question 29

Hubble’s Law?

Answer 29

?

Question 30

Explain how a black hole forms?

Answer 30

Black hole forms?

Question 31

Why can’t astronomers measure the parallax of a star what is a million light-years away?

Answer 31

?

Question 32

The Star Antares is about 604 light years from Earth. Write this distance in Scientific Notation.

Answer 32

6.04 x 10 ^2

Question 33

In what kind of star system does one star block the light from another?

Answer 33

A. Open Cluster
B. Binary star system
C. Quasar System
ANSWER is D. Eclipsing Binary - one star blocks the light from another

Question 34

How is the number of stars different in an open cluster than in a globular cluster?

Answer 34

Open cluster have a loose, disorganized app earns and contain up to a few thousand stars and include supergiants

Globular cluster are large groupings of older stars. Some may contain a MILLION stars

Question 35

Radio Telescopes are able to detect cosmic background radiation which is?

Answer 35

They detect radio waves (long wavelengths) from objects in space. They need to be large telescopes.

Question 36

How do astronomers learn about distant objects in the universe?

Answer 36

?

Question 37

What is the main factor that affects the evolution of a star?

Answer 37

Color?
Mass?
Brightness?
Parallax?

Question 38

What does a light year measure?

Answer 38

Time?
Brightness?
Volume?
Distance?

Question 39

Which of the following best describes a reflecting telescope?

Answer 39

Isaac Newton Invention?
has an objective lens?
Is the smallest telescope?
Has a mirror lens?