THE LIFECYCLE OF STARS

Bellringer

What do you think caused this image? How do you thinkscientists can use thispicture to investigatehow stars are created?

Supernova 1987A

Nebula

Omega Nebula

Omega Nebula - Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, these fantastic, undulating shapes lie within the stellar nursery known as M17, - Omega Nebula, some 5,500 light-years away in the nebula-rich constellation Sagittarius. - Colors in the fog of surrounding hotter material indicate M17's chemical make up. The green glow corresponds to abundant hydrogen, with trace sulfur and oxygen atoms contributing red and blue hues. The picture spans about 3 light-years.

Nasa.gov

A Star is BornOnce a star is formed it enters the longest stage of it’s life known as the Main Sequence

During this stage, energy is created in the core where Hydrogen fuses to form Helium.

The size of the star changes very little as long as the star has a constant supply of Hydrogen atoms to fuse

RED GIANTSAfter the main sequence, a star can enter the third stage and become a Red Giant

A Red Giant is a star that expands and cools once it uses all of its Hydrogen

Red Giants can become 10 or more times bigger than the Sun

Exploring a Red Giant

With a partner, locate Betegeuse on the H-R diagram on pgs 42 and 43 of the textbook.

Determine Betelgeuse’s magnitude and temperature

How does Betegeuse compare to other stars? How does it compare to our sun?

When a Star DiesWhite Dwarfs

When a star begins to run out of hydrogen it may become a White Dwarf

A White Dwarf has no hydrogen left and can no longer generate energy by fusing hydrogen into helium.

White Dwarf’s can shine for billions of years before they cool completely.

When A Star DiesSupernova

Some massive stars may explode in a large, bright display called a Supernova

Supernova occur when a massive star collapses and throws its outer layers into space.

This explosion is so powerful that it can be brighter than an entire galaxy for several days!!

When a Star DiesThe Black Hole

When a star is so massive it may contract and collapse on itself rather than explode into a Black Hole

A Black Hole’s gravity is so great that no light can escape it.

Black Hole’s are so powerful that they can rip light and energy from nearby stars, sometimes swallowing whole stars

Creating A Flow Chart You will work with your partner to develop a Flow

Chart to document the stages of a star’s lifecycle.

Using the paper I provide, you will have to design and illustrate the various stages, AS WELL AS, provide information about each stage based on our class discussions and notes.

You may be as creative as you like with your illustrations, but you need to be sure to include all stages and important information

Stages: Nebula -> Main Sequence -> Red Giant -> White Dwarf, Super Nova, Black Hole