Astronomy Notes Index

Topic
1. Astronomy Vocabulary
2. Layers of the Sun and stars
,.,

-'.

H-RDiagram

4. Solar Storms

page #
1,2,3
4
4
5,6

5. Hertzsprung - Russell Diagram

6. Types of Stars

7. Galaxies

9,10

8. Big Bang Theory

11

Astronomy Vocabulary

Vocabulary
1. astronomy -

2. year -

3. month-

-------------------------------

4. day -

5. telescope -

6. refracting telescope -

7. reflecting telescope -

8. electromagnetic spectrum -

9. constellation -

10. zenith -

(1)

11. altitude -

12. horizon -

13. light-year -

14. spectrum -

15. apparent magnitude -

16. absolute magnitude -

17. parallax -

18. light year -

19. red giant -

20. white dwarf -

21. H-R diagram -

22. main sequence -

(2)

23. supernova -

-----------------------------

24. neutron star -

25. pulsar-

------------------------------

26. black hole -

27. galaxy-

------------------------------

28. nebula-

29. globular cluster -

---------------------------

30. open cluster -

31. quasar -

(3)

Layers of the Sun

Core - Central part of the Sun. Temperature is 15,000,000 Degrees C

Radiative Zone - is a very dense region about 300,000 km thick. Energy produced from the core
migrates out through the zone to the surface of the Sun.
Photosphere - is the visible part of the Sun that we can see.
Chromosphere - this is a thin region, considered a part of the atmosphere of the Sun below the Corona
that is about 30,000km thick.
Corona - the Sun's outer atmosphere. The Corona extends far into space.

(4)

Solar Storms
Sunspots - a dark area area of the photosphere of the Sun that is cooler than the surrounding areas and
has a strong magnetic field. Sunspots peak on an eleven year cycle.

Solar Flares - a storm on the Sun that shows up as a bright burst of light from the surface out into
space.

(5)

Solar Prominences - seen from Earth as huge bright arches or loops of hot gases originating in the
chromosphere. Prominences bend backward and shower the gases back into the Sun.

Solar Wind - a continuous stream of high-energy particles released into space in all directions from
the Sun.

(6)

Hertzsprung

- Russell Diagram

Sun = 1

Super Giants

10,000

L
u
m

1DOO

100

n
0

{-:

Y=-..-.
I"'i.
11.

.<

-~
~.:-=:1(.....
...
q
e-

lJI

S
I

1/100

1/1000

0 ~"'''-:.

M.

White Dwarfs

w.-,

Giants
n .~

i""

..-'.1.

n.c /i.e
I

~:

~'L

1110,000

Temperature

(Kelvin)

H-R Diagram - a graph showing the relationship between a star's surface temperature and
absolute magnitude.

(7)

Types of Stars

Color

Name

Size

Temperature (K)

Blue

Supergiant

100x larger than

the Sun

30,000

White

Giant

10x larger than the

Sun

15,000

Yellow

Main Sequence

Medium sized

6,000

Red-Orange

White Dwarf

Size of the Earth

4,000

Red

Neutron

10-16 kIn diameter

2,500

Example

Blue-white

Supergiant
150 solar masses

(8)

Galaxies
Spiral Galaxy - galaxy that is shaped like a pinwheel. Our Milky Way is a spiral galaxy.

Elliptical Galaxy - galaxy that may vary in shape from nearly spherical to flat.

(9)

Irregular Galaxy - galaxy that no specific shape and size.

(10)

Big Bang Theory - theory that states that the universe began to expand with an explosion of
concentrated matter and energy and has been expanding ever since.

(11)