Unit 6 Vocabulary Flashcards

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1
Q

absolute magnitude

A

a brightness scale used to measure of how bright a star would be if it were seen from a standard distance

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2
Q

apparent magnitude

A

the brightness of a star as seen from Earth

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3
Q

galaxy

A

a large collection of stars, dust, and gas bound together by gravity

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4
Q

H-R diagram

A

Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a graph that shows the relationship between a star’s surface temperature and absolute magnitude

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5
Q

light-year

A

the distance that light travels through space in one year; about 9.46 trillion kilometers

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6
Q

luminosity

A

the actual brightness of an object such as star

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7
Q

main sequence

A

the region on the H-R diagram where stars spend most of their lives; it has a diagonal pattern

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8
Q

nebula

A

a large cloud of dust and gas in interstellar space; a region in space where stars are born

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9
Q

neutron star

A

the core of a supernova that has collapsed under gravity to the point that the electrons and protons have smashed together to form neutrons

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10
Q

planet

A

a relatively large spherical body that orbits a star

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11
Q

pulsar

A

a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation

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12
Q

revolution

A

the motion of a body that travels around another body in space; one trip along an orbit

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13
Q

rotation

A

the spin of a body on its axis

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14
Q

solar system

A

the collection of large and small bodies that orbit our central star, the sun

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15
Q

star

A

a large celestial body that is composed of gas and that emits light; the sun is a typical star

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16
Q

wavelength

A

the distance between two adjacent throughs or crests of a wave

17
Q

supernova

A

a gigantic explosion in which a massive star throws its outer layers into space, but its core remains

18
Q

universe

A

space and all the matter and energy in it

19
Q

white dwarf

A

the hot, dense, dim core of matter that remains from the collapse of a low-mass star

20
Q

spiral galaxy

A

a galaxy shaped like a pinwheel, with a bulge in the center and spiral arms extending outward

21
Q

elliptical galaxy

A

a spherical or elongated galaxy with a bright center and very little dust and gas

22
Q

irregular galaxy

A

a galaxy with an irregular shape that does not fit into any other category

23
Q

electromagnetic spectrum

A

all of different wavelengths and frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays

24
Q

big bang theory

A

the theory that all matter and energy in the universe was compressed into an extremely small volume that 13 billion to 15 billion years ago exploded and began expanding in all directions

25
Q

cosmic microwave background

A

CMB; the electromagnetic radiation left over from the formation of the universe

26
Q

red shift

A

a phenomenon which occurs when a star or galaxy is moving away from the earth and its

27
Q

doppler effect

A

and observed change in frequency or wavelength when the source is moving with respect to observer

28
Q

spectroscope

A

a tool used to collect light from stars and separate the colors in the light