Space Flashcards
First 3 stages of lifecycle of star for all types of star
Nebula
Protostar
Main sequence star
2 different types of star in lifecycle if a star (they each take a different route after the main sequence star)
Stars similar size to sun
Massive stars
Life cycle of star similar size to sun following nebula, protostar and main sequence star
Red giant
White dwarf
Black dwarf
Life cycle of massive star (following nebula, protostar and main sequence star)
Red supergiant
Supernova
Black hole/ neutron star
Which size star has this lifecycle: Nebula- protostar- main sequence star- Red giant- white dwarf- black dwarf
Stars similar size to sun
Which size star has this lifecycle: nebula- protostar- main sequence star- red supergiant- supernova- black hole/ neutron star
Massive stars
What is the nebula
Cloud of dust and gas
Starts to collapse due to gravity
First part in formation/ life cycle of star
Facts about main sequence star
Core approximately 15 million degrees
Hydrogen starts to fuse to form helium
Equilibrium of forces (gravity pulling in, radiation pressure of fusion pulling out)
Facts about red supergiant
Helium and other light nuclei fuse up to iron (iron is the heaviest one that will fuse)
2 key words to describe neutron star
Very hot
Very dense
Key fact about black hole star
Very strong gravitational field
Key fact about red giant star
Helium fuses into large nuclei
What process causes red supergiant to become a supernova
Red supergiant collapses
What causes red giant to become a white dwarf
It runs out of helium to fuse
Key facts about white dwarf star
There’s no more fusion
It’s just cooling down
What happens that makes a main sequence star become a red giant (for stars similar size to sun)
Main sequence star eventually runs out of hydrogen
In which 3 stars only is helium relevant
Main sequence star (hydrogen fuses to form helium)
Red supergiant (helium fuses with other light nuclei up to iron)
Red giant (helium fuses into larger nuclei)
Which is the only star that involves hydrogen
Main sequence star
Hydrogen fuses to form helium
The Milky Way has how many stars
200 billion
What is our solar system made up of
The sun (a star) and all the objects that orbit it (8 planets, dwarf planets, moons (natural satellites that orbit planets)
What galaxy is our solar system part of
The Milky Way
What allows orbiting objects around the sun in our solar system to maintain circular paths
Gravity
Due to gravity what shape do objects orbiting the sun in our solar system have
Circular
Example of natural satellite
The moon
2 types of satellites that orbit planets like the Earth in our solar system
Natural (e.g moon)
Artificial
2 types of orbit for satellites
Polar
Geostationary
Polar vs geostationary orbit for satellltes
Geostationary- satellite remains above fixed point on Earth as it orbits e.g above your house
Polar orbit- satellite doesn’t stay above fixed point on Earth (so has good coverage of earth and is good for spying/ satellite images)
Are higher orbit or lower orbit satellites closer to the earth
Lower orbit
(Think lower orbit means lower down so they’re closer)
Which is faster higher orbit or lower orbit satellites
Lower orbit
(They orbit closer to the Earth so have to go less far)
True or false, satellites have a particular speed
True
Although for different satellites it’s different e.g higher orbit satélites move slower whilst lower orbit satellites move faster
What is dark matter
‘Hidden mass’
It makes galaxies much bigger than the sum of their star and planets’ masses
What is dark energy
Theory to explain why galaxies are accelerating away from each other
Dark energy is the theory to explain what
Why galaxies are accelerating away from each other
What did the Big Bang theory suggest
The universe began from a very small region that was extremely hot and dense
2 key things that are strong evidence for the big gang theory (that the Universe began from a very small region that was extremely hot and dense)
Observed redshift of galaxies
Discovery of Cosmic Microwave background radiation (CMBR)
What is the red shift effect
There is an observed increase in wavelength of light from most distant galaxies because galaxies are receding.
The further away the galaxies from earth, the faster they are moving and there is a bigger increase in wavelength
What force causes stars to expand
Fusion
Dark energy explains why galaxies are…
Acclerating away from each other
