The Average and Massive Star Life Cycle with Characteristics of Stars

Stellar Nebula

Is a dark cloud of gas and dust in space considered the first stage in the development of a star. Considered as the "Nursery" where stars are born.

Star

Is a huge, bright ball of burning gasses held together by gravity.

Black Hole

Is a location in space with a gravity so great that not even light can escape, formed by the collapse of a very large supernova.

Planetary Nebula

Is an expanding shell of gases shed by a dying star in the life cycle of an average star.

Supergiant

Is an extremely large, giant star.

Apparent Magnitude

Is the brightness of a star as it appears from the earth.

Absolute Magnitude

Is the brightness of a star as it would appear if located 32.6 light-years from the earth. The exact amount of light the star is emitting.

Protostar

Is the center of a shrinking, spinning cloud in a stellar nebular; considered to be the beginning of the second stage of the development of a star.

Neutron Star

Is the collapsed core of a supernova consisting of a small, extremely dense ball of neutrons; very dense and compact; one of two last stages of a massive star's life.

White Dwarf

The leftover center of a planetary nebula. The last of the life cycle for an average star; about the same size as Earth

Main-Sequence Star

The middle position or grouping on a graph comparing absolute magnitude to surface temperature. A star spends most of its time in this group on the graph.

Average and Massive

Two general types of stars that form and determine what path the star takes in its "life."

Characteristics Scientists Use to Classify Stars

temperature, size, composition, color, brightness

Red Supergiant

Biggest type of star in the Universe. The 3rd stage in a massive star's life. The star is expanding and cooling.

Red

Color of a star that has the coolest surface temperature.

Blue

Color of the star that has the hottest surface temperature.

Supernova

Explosive death of a massive star that is at least 10 times the size of our Sun.

Red Giant

The 3rd stage of the life of an average star; the core runs out of hydrogen and helium; the core contracts and the outer layers expand and cool down.

Yellow

The color of the surface temperature of our Sun