16.2e The Sun and Stars

Enhancement Lesson

16.2 Vocabulary

Constellation – a group of stars appearing in a pattern as seen from earth.

16.2 Vocabulary

Red Giant – a large, reddish star late in its life cycle that fuses helium into carbon or oxygen.

16.2 Vocabulary

Supergiant – an extremely large star that creates elements as heavy as iron.

16.2 Vocabulary

Supernova – a powerful explosion that occurs when a massive star dies.

16.2 Vocabulary

White Dwarf – A small, very dense star that remains after fusion in a red giant stops.

16.2 Vocabulary

Neutron Star – a dead star with the density of atomic nuclei.

16.2 Vocabulary

Black Hole – an object so massive and dense that not even light can escape its gravity.

16.2 What is a star

Coronal streamer-A wisp-like stream of particles that gradually moves away from the Sun and becomes part of the solar wind.

16.2 What is a star

Coronal holes - are areas of the Sun's surface that are the source of open magnetic field lines that head way out into space.

16.2 What is a star

Photosphere -  imaginary surface from which the solar light that we see appears to be emitted.

16.2 What is a star

Sunspot – temporary phenomena on the photosphere caused by magnetic activity which inhibits convection forming areas of reduced temperature.

16.2 What is a star

Chromosphere – An incandescent, transparent layer of gas, primarily hydrogen, several thousand miles in depth, lying above and surrounding the photosphere of a star, such as the sun, but distinctly separate from the corona.

16.2 What is a star

Filament – are formed in magnetic loops that hold relatively cool, dense gas suspended above the surface of the Sun.

16.2 What is a star

Corona hole – areas where the Sun's corona is darker, colder, and has lower-density plasma than average.

16.2 What is a star

Convective Zone – the range of radii in which energy is transported primarily by convection.

16.2 What is a star

Radiative Zone – In the radiation zone, energy is transported by radiation.

16.2 What is a star

Core – The core is the source of all the Sun's energy.  The Sun's core has a very high temperature, more than 15 million degrees Kelvin, and the material in the core is very tightly packed or dense

Birth and Death of a Star

Protostar Fusion Ignition

Main Sequence

White Dwarf Black HoleRed &

Supergiants