Stars
- A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity.
Composition
- Stars are primarily composed of hot, ionized gases, primarily hydrogen and helium, in a state called plasma.
- The core of a star can be incredibly hot, with temperatures reaching millions of degrees Celsius, causing the matter to exist in a plasma state where electrons are stripped from atoms.
Stars are cosmic energy engines.
- Stars are icosmic energy engines.
- They generate energy through nuclear fusion processes occurring in their cores.
- The immense gravitational pressure and heat at a star's core cause hydrogen atoms to fuse together to form helium, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the form of heat and light.
- This energy is what makes stars shine and produce various forms of radiation
Stars produce heat, light, ultraviolet rays, x-rays, and other forms of radiation.
- Stars produce a wide range of radiation, including heat and various types of electromagnetic radiation.
- The core of a star is incredibly hot and emits thermal radiation (heat) as well as visible light.
- Depending on the star's temperature and size, they can also emit ultraviolet rays, x-rays, and even gamma rays.
Stars were not formed after galaxies during the Big Bang
- The Big Bang theory explains the origin of the universe itself, including all matter, energy, and space.
- Stars, on the other hand, formed much later, after the universe had cooled down and expanded sufficiently to allow for the gravitational collapse of gas clouds.
- Stars are thought to have formed within galaxies, which themselves formed from the matter and structures created by the Big Bang.
