What happens during the main sequence phase of a star? When the protostar starts fusing hydrogen, it enters the “main sequence” phase of its life. Stars on the main sequence are those that are fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores....
What determines the amount of time a star will spend on the main sequence? The overall lifespan of a star is determined by its mass. Since stars spend roughly 90% of their lives burning hydrogen into helium on the main sequence...
What are stars in the main sequence called? Main-sequence stars are called dwarf stars, but this terminology is partly historical and can be somewhat confusing. For the cooler stars, dwarfs such as red dwarfs, orange dwarfs, and yellow dwarfs are indeed...
Which stars are the first to leave the main sequence? Blue Supergiants Typically, type-O and early type-B main sequence stars leave the main sequence in only a few million years, since they burn through their supply of hydrogen very quickly due...
What causes a main sequence star to turn into a red giant? Larger stars find their outer layers collapsing inward until temperatures are hot enough to fuse helium into carbon. Then the pressure of fusion provides an outward thrust that expands...
What is a main sequence star simple definition? A main sequence star is any star that has a hot, dense core which fuses hydrogen into helium to produce energy. Most stars in the galaxy are main sequence stars, including Alpha Centauri...
How do star clusters confirm that stars are evolving quizlet? Stars spend about 90% of their fusion lifetimes on the main sequence. How do star clusters confirm that stars are evolving? The H-R diagram of a star cluster is missing the...
What is the turnoff point for a star cluster quizlet? “The main-sequence turnoff point is the point on the Main Sequence of a star cluster beyond which all the stars have died. The main-sequence turnoff point of a cluster tells us...
What is a typical age for a globular cluster quizlet? What is the typical age for a globular cluster associated with our Milky Way? 10-12 Billion Years. How do you determine the age of a globular cluster? By placing the stars...
What characteristic of a star is used to determine its age? By measuring both the luminosity of a star, which is its brightness relative to the brightness of our sun, and the color spectrum of the star, which represents the surface...