Why does main sequence has a lower mass limit? The limiting lower mass is set by the smallest mass that can produce the core temperatures and densities necessary to sustain steady core hydrogen fusion. Obviously, the Sun does this and Jupiter...
How are ages of star clusters determined quizlet? How do we measure the age of a star cluster? We can determine the age of a star cluster by plotting its stars on the H-R diagram. The age of the cluster is...
What is a young star cluster? Young massive clusters (YMCs) are dense aggregates of young stars that form the fundamental building blocks of galaxies. Several examples exist in the Milky Way Galaxy and the Local Group, but they are particularly abundant...
Which stars on the HR diagram are the oldest? In the image above, you can see a schematic HR diagram with plots of lines that represent the Main Sequence for a number of open clusters. From the location of the Main...
Why are star clusters important to our study of stars? Star clusters are particularly important because they allow astronomers to check models of stellar evolution and the ages of stars. How are the ages of star clusters related to their turnoff...
How long can neutron stars live? Like a white dwarf, a neutron star will cool over about 1010 years to a point where it no longer emits visible light. However, unlike white dwarfs, neutron stars have a thin crust surrounding densely...
What are the 4 properties of a neutron star? Neutron stars have four basic properties: a small diameter, high density, strong gravity, and strong magnetic field. Neutron stars are only several kilometers in diameter, often no more than the size of...
Why is a neutron star blue? A neutron star emits mainly X-Rays, which aren’t visible to the human eye, but it also emits visible light. But due to their mass and how matter is compressed, and they are extremely hot objects,...
Can neutron stars be any size? Neutron stars are typically about 20 km (12 miles) in diameter. Their masses range between 1.18 and 1.97 times that of the Sun, but most are 1.35 times that of the Sun. Is a neutron...
Why is neutron star so hot? A newborn neutron star is incredibly hot — it is, after all, the surviving core of a star that has just collapsed and exploded as a supernova. Gravitational energy released during the star’s collapse represents...