Features Of The Universe Flashcards
Universe
Space and all existing matter considered as a whole.
Galaxy
A huge cluster of stars held together by gravitational attraction.
Nebulae
A cloud of gas and dust - stars are born here.
Star
A glowing ball of gas.
Red giant
A large red star. It forms when the nuclear fuel in a star begins to run out.
White dwarf
I’ll star at the end of its life. It is formed from the Red Giant. A small and very dense star that is about the size of a planet.
Supernova
A supernova is the explosion of the star. It is the largest explosion that takes place in space.
Black hole
Areas in space, where gravity is so strong nothing, not even light, can escape from them. Black holes are thought to be formed by collapsed stars.
Nuclear fusion
A nuclear reaction with two hydrogen atoms combined to form a helium atom. A large amount of energy is emitted during this process.
Meteorites
Lumps of rock or metal that come from space and hit the Earth.
Meteors
These are “shooting stars”. They are small fragments attracted to the Earth from space. As they enter the atmosphere, heat from friction causes them to burn.
Big Bang Theory
A theory that states the universe had a beginning. All the energy in the universe was concentrated into a single point. It then exploded outwards into matter and motion.
Steady State Theory
A theory that states that the universe has always existed and has always been expanding.
A light year
The distance light travels in a year.
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