Astro 6: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe Final Exam Study Guide

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts from the Astro 6 final exam study guide, focusing on essential terms in astronomy and cosmology.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, including radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays.

Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation

States that every mass attracts every other mass in the universe with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

Light Pollution

Excessive or misdirected artificial light that interferes with astronomical observations and affects natural ecosystems.

Hydrostatic Equilibrium

A condition in a star where the inward gravitational force is balanced by the outward pressure from nuclear fusion.

Parallax

The apparent shift in position of an object viewed from different angles, used to measure the distance to nearby stars.

H-R Diagram

A graph that plots stars according to their brightness and temperature, showing the relationship between stellar luminosity and temperature.

CNO Cycle

A process by which stars that are more massive than the Sun convert hydrogen into helium using carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen as catalysts.

Quasar

A highly luminous object powered by a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy, emitting large amounts of energy.

Dark Matter

A form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, detectable only through its gravitational effects on visible matter.

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)

The remnant thermal radiation from the Big Bang, providing evidence for the universe's hot and dense origin.

Protoplanetary Disk

A rotating disk of dense gas and dust surrounding a young star, from which planets can form.

Spacetime

The four-dimensional continuum of space and time in which all events occur, as described by the theory of General Relativity.