Astronomy 1021 Study Guide - Triple-Alpha Process, Supernova Remnant, Schwarzschild Radius

• School: Western University
• Department: Astronomy
• Course: Astronomy 1021
• Professor: Stacey Hallman

Document Summary

Nova: from the latin, meaning new , a sudden and temporary brightening of a star making it appear as a new star in the sky, evidently caused by an explosion of nuclear fuel on the surface of a white dwarf. Supernova: a new star in the sky that is roughly 4000 times more luminous than a normal nova and longer lasting, evidently the result of an explosion of a star. Giant star: large, cool, highly luminous star in the upper right of the h-r diagram, typically 10 to 100 times the diameter of the sun. Supergiant star: exceptionally luminous star whose diameter is 100 to 1000 times that of the sun. Horizontal branch: the location in the h-r diagram of giant stars fusing helium. Planetary nebula: an expanding shell of gas ejected from a medium-mass star during the latter stages of its evolution.