Stars, Galaxies And The Universe - Vocabulary Flashcards
Energy that travels through space in waves
electro – magnetic radiation
A device that makes distant objects appear to be closer. It allows us to see distant objects in space
Telescope
The light we can see; a type of electromagnetic radiation
Visible light
The distance between the crest of one wave and the crest of the next wave
Wavelength
The range of different colors with different wavelengths
Spectrum
A telescope that uses lenses or mirrors to collect and focus visible light
Optical telescope
A telescope that uses convex lenses together in focus light
Refracting telescope
A piece of transparent glass, curve so that the middle is bigger then the edges
Convex lens
A telescope that uses a curved mirror to collect and focus light. The larger the mirror, the more light the telescope can collect
Reflecting telescope
A device used to detect radio waves from objects in space. It has a curved, reflecting surface and focuses radio waves the way the near focuses light waves.
Radio telescope
The building that contain one or more telescopes. Many are located on mountaintops, but some are located in space
Observatory
Imaginary patterns of stars
Constellations
I device that breaks light into colors and produces an image of the resulting spectrum. It is used to determine the elements found in stars.
Spectrograph
The stars brightness as seen from Earth. It can be measured by electronic devices
Apparent brightness
The brightness of the star would have if it were at a standard distance from the earth. It is more difficult to find a stars absolute brightness then it’s apparent brightness
Absolute brightness
The distance that light travels in one year, about 9.5 million kilometers
Light – year
The apparent change in position of an object when you look at it from different places
Parallax
A diagram that compares the stars brightness to its temperature, used to classify stars
Hertzsprung- Russell diagram
The area on the H – R diagram where most of the stars are located
Main sequence
A large cloud of gas and dust spread out in any meds volume: the beginning of the story
Nebula
A contracting cloud of gas and dust with enough mass to form a star; the earliest stage of a stars life
Protostar
The blue-white Hot core of a star that is left behind after its outer layers have expanded and drifted out into space
White dwarf
The brilliant explosion of a dying supergiant star
Supernova
A star formed from the remains after a supergiant explode
Neutron stars
