Star Formation Flashcards
All 5 cards in this deck
What is a nebula?
A cloud of dust and gas in space, from which stars form.
What force pulls the dust and gas of a nebula together?
Gravitational attraction (gravity).
What is a protostar?
The hot, dense mass of dust and gas formed as a nebula collapses, before fusion reactions begin.
Why do fusion reactions start in a protostar?
Gravity makes it denser, so the temperature and pressure become high enough for hydrogen nuclei to fuse.
What are the steps by which a star forms?
e.g. how the Sun formed
- Gravity pulls dust and gas in a nebula together.
- The mass gets denser and hotter — a protostar.
- It becomes hot enough for fusion of hydrogen — a main sequence star like the Sun.