Life Cycle of Stars

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture on the life cycle of stars.

Galaxy

A collection of billions of stars, their planetary systems, and interstellar clouds.

Spiral Galaxy

A type of galaxy characterized by a rotating disk of stars, gas, and dust, with spiral arms.

Interstellar Clouds

Huge clouds of gas and dust present in the empty spaces between stars in a galaxy.

Light Year

The distance that light travels in one year, approximately 9.5 x 10^12 km.

Red Giant Star

A stage in a star's evolution where it expands significantly and appears reddish due to its lower temperature.

Supernova

A powerful explosion that occurs at the end of a massive star's life cycle, emitting tremendous energy.

White Dwarf

The end stage of stars with less than 8 times the mass of the Sun; a small and dense remnant composed mostly of carbon and oxygen.

Neutron Star

A type of stellar remnant that is incredibly dense, primarily composed of neutrons, formed after a supernova explosion of a medium-mass star.

Black Hole

The end stage of very massive stars; a region of space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.

Stability of Stars

A condition where the gravitational force and gas pressure within a star are balanced.