Sci Chap 12 Vocab Flashcards
Apparent Magnitude
measure of a celestial body’s brightness asobserved from the earth
Absolute Magnitude
actual brightness of a celestial object
Luminosity
the amount of light radiated per second by a star
Main Sequence
a diagonal area on the H-R diagram in which most stars are found
White Dwarf
a small, hot, very dense star
Giant
a large, bright star with low surface temperature
Nebula
a large cloud of gas and dust in space
Supernova
the explosion of a massive star that causes a sudden increase in luminosity
Neutron Star
the small, dense core of a supergiant after an explosion
Pulsar
a rapidly spinning neutron star that emits pulsating radio waves
Binary Star
a system of two stars that revolve around each other
Ellipse
an elongated oval shape
Exoplanet
a planet orbiting a star other than the Earth’s sun
Star Cluster
A group of stars held together by gravitational attraction
