Studied by 46 PeopleAbsolute magnitude
Tags & Description
Absolute magnitude
actual brightness of a star from a standard distance
Absorption spectrum
produced when gas absorbs light; shows dark lines that represent the wavelengths that a gas absorbs; can help determine the composition of stars
Apparent magnitude
brightness of a star as seen from Earth
Big Bang Theory
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
Blue Shift
a shift toward the blue end of the spectrum; occurs in the spectrum of an object when the object is moving toward the observer
Continuous Spectrum
produced when a light source emits all of the colors of visible light with no gaps or breaks between the wavelengths; colors are always in the same order - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet
Cosmic Microwave Radiation
the electromagnetic radiation left over from the formation of the universe
Doppler Effect
an observed change in frequency or wavelength when the source is moving with respect to the observer
Electromagnetic spectrum
all of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
Emission spectrum
a series of unevenly spaced lines of different colors and brightnesses with each color corresponding to a certain wavelength of light that is being emitted
Galaxy
a collection of stars, dust, and gas bound together by gravity.
H-R diagram
a graph that shows the relationship between a star's surface temperature and absolute magnitude
Light-year
the distance that light travels in one year; about 9.46 trillion kilometers
Luminosity
brightness of a star compared to the sun
Main sequence
the location on the H-R diagram where most stars lie; it has a diagonal pattern
Nebula
a large cloud of dust and gas in interstellar space; a region in space where stars are born
Planet
a relatively large spherical body that orbits a star
Red Shift
a shift toward the red end of the spectrum; occurs in the spectrum of an object when the object is moving away from the observer
Revolution
the motion of a body that travels around another body in space; one trip along an orbit
Rotation
the spin of a body on its axis
Solar system
the sun and all the planets and other bodies that travel around it
Spectroscope
a tool to collect light from stars and separate the colors in the light
Spectrum
a range of electromagnetic radiation that is ordered by wavelength or frequency, such as the band of colors that is produced when white light passes through a prism
Star
a large celestial body that is composed of gas and that emits light; the sun is a typical star
Supernova
a gigantic explosion in which a massive star collapses and throws its outer layers into space
Universe
space and all the matter and energy in it
Wavelength
the distance between two adjacent crests or troughs of a wave
White dwarf
a small, hot, dim star that is the leftover center of an old sun-like star