1. Characteristics of stars

2. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Stars – Huge Masses of Gas
Mainly Hydrogen and helium
Energy from Nuclear Fusion
Constellations – groups of stars in night sky
Light –Year – distance light travels in one year
Parallax – apparent change in position
Apparent Magnitude – Brightness seen from Earth
Actual Magnitude – How bright the star is
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

3. DIFFERENT TYPES OF STARS
HERTSPRUNG-RUSSELL DIAGRAM
Compares Brightness of star to Surface Temperature and Color
Main Sequence – Most stars are this
Giants and Super Giants – Extremely large stars near the end of their life
White Dwarfs – faint glow of star after it has burnt out
Black Holes – not on diagram
Death of really massive Stars
DIFFERENT TYPES OF STARS

6. LIFE-CYCLE OF STARS Nebula  Protostar Main Sequence
Life Span determined by fuel
More Mass  shorter life
Red Giant or Supergiant
White Dwarf  Black Dwarf
Supernova  Neutron Stars & Black Holes
LIFE-CYCLE OF STARS

7. ODDS AND ENDS GOLDILOCKS CONDTION GALAXY – huge clusters of stars
Narrow range of conditions that make life on Earth possible – “Just Right”
Water, temperature, gravity etc.
GALAXY – huge clusters of stars
Classified by shape: Spiral, Elliptical, Irregular
Milky Way – our galaxy; spiral
BIG BANG THEORY
Scientific Theory that explains how the universe formed from an enormous explosion 10 to 15 billion years ago
Movement of Galaxies supports theory
ODDS AND ENDS