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Astronomy — Stars and Stellar Evolution

Life cycles of stars and types of stellar objects

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stellarpath_77 15 terms Nov 29, 2025
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Terms 15

1
Main Sequence Star
Star fusing hydrogen into helium in its core; Sun is a main sequence star
2
Red Giant
Aging star that has expanded as core hydrogen runs out; Sun's fate
3
White Dwarf
Remnant of low-mass star after shedding outer layers; very dense
4
Neutron Star
Extremely dense remnant of massive star after supernova; made of neutrons
5
Pulsar
Rapidly rotating neutron star emitting beams of electromagnetic radiation
6
Black Hole
Region of collapsed mass with gravity so strong even light cannot escape
7
Protostar
Early stage of star formation; cloud of gas and dust contracting under gravity
8
Nuclear Fusion
Process powering stars; hydrogen nuclei combine to form helium, releasing energy
9
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Graph plotting stars by luminosity vs. temperature; shows stellar evolution
10
Absolute Magnitude
Intrinsic brightness of a star at standard distance of 10 parsecs
11
Apparent Magnitude
Brightness of a star as seen from Earth
12
Binary Star
Two stars orbiting their common center of mass
13
Planetary Nebula
Shell of gas expelled by dying low-mass star; not related to planets
14
Stellar Nucleosynthesis
Formation of elements heavier than hydrogen inside stars
15
Chandrasekhar Limit
Maximum mass of a stable white dwarf: ~1.4 solar masses