What is the difference between a solar system and a galaxy?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: Solar system is a collection of planets and smaller bodies that orbit a star. A galaxy is a large collection of solar systems and stars.
Approximately how many stars are in each galaxy and how many galaxies are there in the universe?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: Billions
How do stars form?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: A nebula which contains dust and gas collects and condenses into a hot protostar. Nuclear fusion then takes place causing the star to be in the "main sequence" for 90% of its life.
What is the difference between meteoroid,
meteor and meteorite?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: Meteoroid is an object smaller than 10 meters that is traveling in space. When the object comes into Earth's atmosphere is a meteor, or shooting star. When it lands on Earth, it is a meteorite. Meteoroid (void or space), Meteor (watch it soar), Meteorite (hold on tight)
What affects gravity?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: Mass and Distance, especially distance.
What is the difference between absolute and apparent magnitude?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: Absolute magnitude is how bright an object actually is (from 32.6 light years or 10 parsecs away). Apparent magnitude is how bright a star is from Earth and is affected by distance.
What 3 things affect apparent magnitude?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: Temperature and size affect absolute and apparent magnitude. Distance also affects apparent magnitude, since it is how bright a star appears from Earth.
What color star has the lowest luminosity?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: Red, because a lower temperature means a lower luminosity.
If two stars have the same temperature, but star B has a higher absolute magnitude, what physical characteristic is different about star B?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: Star B is bigger because temperature and size have an effect on luminosity and if they are the same temperature, star B would have to be larger since it is brighter.
What color star is the hottest and what color star is the coolest?
Refsland, Joseph
Answer: The hottest stars are blue and the coldest stars are red. Our Sun is in the middle with yellow.
Between which two planets is the asteroid belt located?
