Astrophysics and Astronomy Notes

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary found within the lecture notes on astrophysics and astronomy, focusing on magnetic fields, solar phenomena, constellations, and methods for measuring astronomical distances.

Plages

Bright regions in the chromosphere caused by magnetic fields.

Spicules

Magnetic fields that rise and carry plasma upwards in the chromosphere.

Solar flares

Energetic eruptions that release magnetic energy into the corona, resulting in high temperatures.

Coronal mass ejections

The biggest solar storms that can eject large amounts of gas into the solar wind.

Aurorae

Natural light displays in the Earth's sky, typically seen in high-latitude regions.

Geomagnetically Induced Current

Currents that are induced in power systems due to solar storms.

Constellation

A defined region of the sky that contains a pattern of stars; originally derived from Latin meaning 'set with stars'.

Light year

The distance light travels in one year, approximately 9.46 x 10^15 meters.

Luminosity

The amount of light emitted by a star; often related to its temperature and size.

Parallax

The apparent shift in position of nearby stars against distant background stars, used to measure distances.

Annual Parallax

The shift in position of a star due to the Earth's motion around the Sun, used to calculate distances.