A yellow dwarf is a star and is often referred to as a G-type main sequence star. A perfect example of a yellow dwarf would be the sun. A yellow dwarf has a mass almost like the mass of the sun. Its color ranges from white to a lighter yellow. Among the stars in the […]
Many stars are moving together with other stars in space. These groups are called multiple star systems. An example of this system is an eclipsing binary star. It is a pair of stars that revolves on an imaginary ?center.? Their center of revolution is based on their common geometrical center of masses.
Photo by: Brews ohare Creative Commons A standard candle is a class of astronomical objects that belong to the same class and have a standard luminosity or brightness. You can actually determine an object’s distance from the earth using standard candles.
When stars reach their final stage, some explode as a consequence of nuclear reactions occurring inside the core. The stellar explosion is called the supernova which is divided into physical types: the Type I and Type II. They are basically classified according to their luminosities and spectral lines. Type II supernovas have lesser peaking of
Type II Supernovae Read More »
Photo by: Chrkl Creative Commons Supernovas are explosions towards the end of the life of a star. They are classified as supernova I and II, depending on their solar luminosities. Type I supernova has a peaked maxima (about 10 billion luminosities) and then gradually disappears. Type I supernova is further divided into Type Ia and
A few billion years into the life of a star and its center will run out of fuel to burn. This results in the cooling and contraction of the star that will give rise to the collapse of the core inwards due to gravity. Coincidentally, this collapse results in the fusion of hydrogen to form
In science, Nuclear Fusion is defined as the combination or fusion of 2 atomic nuclei to form a new compound and also creating a heavier nucleus. In astronomy however, this is not only what is considered as fusion. It is also defined as the atomic reaction that pumps out stars, giving these celestial bodies the
A spiral galaxy is so-called because of how it looks: with arms extending from its center. Upon closer inspection, you may find that the spiral galaxy actually looks like a pinwheel, with its arms going out from the central cluster of stars.
Globular clusters are vast swarms of stars, up to a hundred thousand or more, which were formed through time. Tightly bound up by gravity, globular clusters are spherical in size. The stars in a globular cluster are red giants, much older than our Sun or our Solar System. Each globular cluster can contain hundreds of
A starburst galaxy refers to a galaxy that is undergoing a process of an incredibly high rate of star formation. There are many galaxies of this kind all throughout the universe and star formations at this high rate alters the structure of the host galaxy because of the high amount of energy and mass produced.
