A STAR IS BORN

Megan MacGregor

NebulaA nebula is the beginning of all stars. Dense with gas and dust, nebulae are the determining factor of what type of star will be created, how it will die, and how long it lives

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The eagle nebula is a nebula some 7,000 light years away. Within it are many new stars, thriving on the dust and gas this

nebula has to offer.

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Nebular CollapseWhen the force of gravity pulling into the center of the nebula is greater than the outwards force on the nebula, it collapses on itself and contracts. After this, the protostar, as it is now referred to as, can go one of two ways.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/protostar-flashes.html

If a protostar gains enough mass, it will

become a star. In this, hydrogen atoms

combine to form helium atoms, a process

known as nuclear fusion. The core of the

star will reach 10,000,000°C.

At this point, the star will be begin to glow

and energy will radiate from the star in the

form of electromagnetic waves.

A star is a celestial body at a fixed point in space that emits energy in the form of waves

Mass is the amount of matter in an object

Nuclear fusion is a process in which atoms are pulled

together

If the protostar doesn’t have enough mass, it will shrink and die away.Protostars

Hydrogen is the lightest element in the Universe

Helium is second lightest.

Electromagnetic radiation is energy carried in the form of

waves, including all visible light as well as UV and Infrared light

Low Mass Stars

• Dim, cool stars• Red dwarf stars are

the coolest and dimmest stars

• Live for 100 billion years

• At death, they change to white dwarves and quietly burn out

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Intermediate Mass Stars

• Burn hydrogen gas much faster than low mass stars, resulting in a shorter lifespan

• Live for approximately ten billion years

• Expand to a red giant before death and burn out to a black dwarf

Our sun, an intermediate mass star

http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/evolving-universe/solar/sun.html

High Mass Stars

• >12x larger than our sun

• Grow rapidly and to large size

• Live for 7 billion years

• Death results in huge explosion, known as a supernova http://web.utah.edu/astro/Stars.html

Supernova

When a high mass star dies, it results in a huge explosion, larger than any other in the universe, known as a supernova. This supernova leaves huge amounts of gas and dust that can turn into neutron stars or black holes.

http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/mpa/institute/news_archives/news1005_janka/news1005_janka-en.html

A neutron is a small, dense star with two times the mass of our sun but a 12 km diameter.

A black hole is the remnants of a supernova that has such a high

amount of gravity that not even light can escape its force.

Star ColoursRe

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The Doppler effect

The Doppler effect is a measureable effect caused by the movement of a celestial body. Waves of radiation move based on which direction the star is moving. If the star is moving closer to you, the waves will appear smaller in front of it’s projected path, whereas the waves behind will appear longer and more spread out.

http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/sound_doppler_effect.htm#.VI4xcSvF-So

BibliographyScience 9 textbook

http://lasp.colorado.edu/education/outerplanets/solsys_star.php

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140607.html

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/protostar-flashes.html

http://www.sidleach.com/m16.htm

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/fusion.html

http://nasawatch.com/images/ooeso0950a

http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/sound_doppler_effect.htm#.

VI4xcSvF-So

http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/evolving-universe/solar/sun.html