Describe the life cycle of stars
Explain where stars fit in the hierarchy of the universe, the characteristics of stars, and processes by which stars form, live, and die. Discuss how the materials are recycled and how this process might be related to the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy and to the origin of the universe. Consider these facts in descri ...continues
a. Light is one form of electromagnetic radiation. What are electromagnetic waves and what other types are there besides light? Compare their wavelengths. b. How can the temperature, composition, and motion of an object be determined from its light spectrum? c. What are three ways astronomers learn abo ...continues
e. When we look at stars in the sky we see a wide range of brightness. Explain the factors that would make one star appear brighter than another. f. Compare the Sun with other stars. g. Consider a star at the upper part of the main sequence (label it Star A) and a star in the lower part of the main seq ...continues
1) Evidence is strong that the formation of the Sun (and its family of planets) happened by the same processes as the formation of stars. Explain. 2) How are planets detected around other stars? 3) Did the Sun and solar system form in the first half or last half of our galaxy’s history? Explain. 4) Compare the stars f ...continues
r. How many years would a radio signal take to reach the nearest large galaxy to us, the Andromeda galaxy? (Hint: Consider the nature of all electromagnetic waves.) s. Why is the study of the most distant galaxies we can see related to the study of conditions around the time that our galaxy (and perhaps others) was forming? ...continues
What are the two major theories of the origin of the universe?
What is meant by the fourth dimension?
What would an imaginary terrestrial observer see as the Sun runs out of hydrogen in the future? If life is confined to Earth when this happens, would life perish from heat or from cold? Explain. What kind of stars eventually become white dwarfs? What kind eventually become supernovae? What will be the ultimate fate of the ...continues
k. Compare the solar system with the Milky Way Galaxy. (They are very different, but the terms are often confused.) l. Describe the nature of the material between the stars, and how is it observed. m. Why are O and B stars the brightest in open clusters? Why are red giants the brightest stars in globul ...continues
What is Hubble's Law and its significance? How does it relate to the distance chain?
What is Hubble's Law and its significance? How does it relate to the distance chain? Consider the star-gas-star cycle in the Milky Way galaxy today. How is the star population is the halo different from the star population in the galactic disk?
