Space Flashcards
How is a protostar formed?
Gravity pulls dust clouds together. Core is not hot enough yet to begin process of fusion
Main Sequence Star
Fuses hydrogen to form helium at its core. Longest stage of a stars life. Star is stable.
red Giant
Fuses helium in its core, expands
White dwarf
Nuclear fuel is exhausted, near end of its nuclear burning stage
Black Dawrf
A stellar remnant of a white dwarf that has cooled sufficiently that it no longer emits heat or light
Red Supergiant
Hydrogen fuel is exhausted and fuses helium in core causing star to expand more than a red giant
Supernova
Core of star collapses in a giant explosion, process fuses elements heavier than Iron
Neutron Star
A dense cluster of neutrons remaining at core of star after a supernova
Black hole
An infinitely dense stellar object trapping all matter and light that passes event horizon
Lifecycle of stars with similar mass to our sun
Protostar, main sequence star, red giant, white dwarf, black dwarf
Lifecycle of stars with larger mass than our sun
Protostar, main sequence star, red supergiant, supernova, neutron star, (if massive enough a black hole is formed)
What is a centripetal force?
A resultant force keeping planets in orbit around a mass, where it experiences acceleration towards the centre of the circle
What is the doppler effect?
The change in observed wavelength (and frequency) of waves because of the motion of the source of waves.
When the source moves AWAY from the observer, the wavelength increases and the frequency decreases, vice versa
What is redshift?
Redshift is where the frequency of light decreases and wavelength increases, because the galaxy is moving AWAY from the observer
What is blueshift?
When the frequency of light increases, and the wavelength decreases, because a galaxy is moving TOWARDS the observer
