Nasa Star Study printable pdf download

NASA Star Study

How are stars formed? How are stars powered? What is the life cycle of a star?

Stars are the fundamental building blocks of the ________________. To trace the history, dynamics, and

evolution of a galaxy, it is important to determine the ____________, ______________, and ____________ of

its stars. Stars are also the manufacturers and distributers of heavy elements such as

___________________, ______________, and ___________________. The science of studying stars is

called __________________.

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Star Formation

Stars are born in _____________ of _____________ in most galaxies. An example of this is called Orion

________________. When the cloud collapses under its own __________________ attraction, the material at

the center begins to ________________________. At this point the forming star is called a ______________.

As the cloud collapses, a hot core forms and begins gathering _____________ and _____________ which will

later become part of the star or may become _________________, ________________, or _______________

or may just remain dust.

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Main Sequence Stars

A star the size of our Sun needs ________________ years to grow from the cloud collapsing to adulthood, and

it will remain matured for __________________________ years according to the _______________________

diagram.

What fuels a star? The nuclear fusion of ____________________ forms __________________ deep in their

interiors. The outflow of energy from the center of the star provides the necessary __________________ to

keep the star from collapsing and provides the energy for it to __________________.

Stars vary in their luminosity and color. The smallest stars, ___________________, may have only ____% the

mass of the Sun and emit only ____% as much energy. Even though they are relatively small, they are the

most __________________ stars in the universe and have a lifespan of __________________________

years.

At the other end of the spectrum, the most massive stars, _____________________________, may be _____

or more times more massive than the Sun and emit _______________________ times more energy than the

Sun, but they only have lifetimes of ____________________ years. These massive stars are extremely

_________ today. The Milky Way has only a ___________________________.

Nasa Star Study