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Life and Death of a Star

Life and Death of a Star. Sources of Energy. A Star has Two Sources of Energy Source 1: Fusion The Conversion of Light Elements into Heavier Ones Source 2: Gravity The attraction of each atom in the star to every other atom. Sources of Energy. Fusion

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Life and Death of a Star

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  1. Life and Death of a Star

  2. Sources of Energy • A Star has Two Sources of Energy • Source 1: Fusion • The Conversion of Light Elements into Heavier Ones • Source 2: Gravity • The attraction of each atom in the star to every other atom

  3. Sources of Energy • Fusion • The joining of Hydrogen Nuclei to make Helium • Can also join Helium Nuclei to make Beryllium • Attempts to Blow the Star apart • Happens only at the very Core of the Star

  4. Sources of Energy • Gravity • Draws all the matter of the Star inward • Is the weakest of all the fundamental forces • Grows in strength as the amount of matter increases or the size of the star shrinks

  5. Life of a Star • Main Phases of a Star’s Birth • Formation of Cloud • Gathering of Innerstellar Dust • Innerstellar means the stuff between Stars • Cloud to Protostar • Formation of the Seed that will become a Star • Protostar to Star • Heating up to full fledged Star

  6. Life of a Star • Stellar Cloud • Begins at a cool temperature of 10-30K • Planet Earth is Typically around 300K • Cloud begins to shrink and glow

  7. Life of a Star • Protostar • The Stellar Cloud collapses so much that the internal temperature and pressure rise dramatically • The Core begins to push back against Gravity and the Protostar is formed • The core is NOT yet hot enough for Fusion • However the seed of a new star is planted

  8. Life of a Star • Star • When the Internal Temperature reaches 10 million K, it is hot enough for Fusion to start • The Hydrogen burning star is born and maintains a balance between gravity and pressure • This balance is known as gravitational equilibrium • This is now a main sequence star

  9. Mass of a Star • Every Star in the Universe is compared to our Sun when we talk about mass • Our Sun is designated as having 1 Solar Mass • Thus a Star with 4 Solar Masses is 4 times bigger than our Sun • Every Star has a specific Mass when it is born that will determine the Star’s eventual fate

  10. Mass of a Star • Birth Weights - there are 3 possible birth weights for a Star • Low Mass Star: 0.5 - 2 Solar Masses • Intermediate Mass: 2 - 8 Solar Masses • High Mass Star: 8 Solar Masses or Bigger • The Fate of Each individual Star depends almost entirely on its Birth Mass

  11. Size and Fate • Bigger Stars form faster and burn hotter and brighter, but die Faster and more spectacularly • Smaller Stars take longer form, burn cooler, but live much longer and have Simple Deaths • Big Stars may only live for hundreds of Million of years • Small Stars may live for Billions

  12. Astronomy Assessment • In class essay that will take place during your lab day • Minimum of 3 paragraphs: Intro, Body and Conclusion • Minimum of 1 hand written page or 300 words • May bring in any notes to use during the essay writing

  13. Essay Prompts • Compare and Contrast the Life of a Star to the Life of a Human. Mention the Growth, Stages of Development, Life Expectancy, and Death of Each. • Compare and Contrast the Formation, Life, Destruction and Recycling of Veterans Stadium to a Solar System • Compare and Contrast the Big Bang to a Bag of Microwavable Popcorn. Relate the Formation, Expansion, Life Time, Collapse and Destruction of Each.

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