universe

Question 1

absolute magnitude

Answer 1

a brightness scale used to measure of how bright a star would be seen from a standard difference

Question 2

apparent magnitude

Answer 2

the brightness of the star from earth

Question 3

galaxy

Answer 3

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

Question 4

H-R diagram

Answer 4

hertzsprung-russell diagram, a graph that shows the relationship between a stars surface temperature and absolute magnitude

Question 5

light-year

Answer 5

the distance light travels to space in one year; about 9.46 trillion km

Question 6

luminosity

Answer 6

the actual brightness of an object such as a star

Question 7

main sequence

Answer 7

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

Question 8

nebula

Answer 8

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

Question 9

neutron star

Answer 9

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

Question 10

planet

Answer 10

a relatively large spherical body that orbits a star

Question 11

pulsar

Answer 11

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

Question 12

revolution

Answer 12

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

Question 13

rotation

Answer 13

the spin of a body on its axis

Question 14

solar system

Answer 14

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

Question 15

wavelength

Answer 15

the distance between to adjacent troughs or crests of waves

Question 16

supernova

Answer 16

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

Question 17

universe

Answer 17

space and all matter and energy in it

Question 18

white dwarf

Answer 18

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

Question 19

spiral galaxy

Answer 19

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

Question 20

elliptical galaxy

Answer 20

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

Question 21

irregular galaxy

Answer 21

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

Question 22

electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 22

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

Question 23

big bang theory

Answer 23

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

Question 24

cosmic microwave background

Answer 24

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

Question 25

red shift

Answer 25

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

Question 26

doppler effect

Answer 26

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

Question 27

spectroscope

Answer 27

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