Lessons 3-4
Lesson 3: Life Cycle of a Star
Lesson Objectives
Let’s Talk Vocabulary
 Doppler Effect
 Electromagnetic Waves
 Red Shift
 Blue Shift
 Parallax
Let’s Talk Vocabulary
 Doppler Effect – the change in a sound’s pitch based
on the observer’s position
Let’s Talk Vocabulary
 Electromagnetic Waves - Radiation that travels in the
form of waves, including radio waves, microwaves,
infrared waves, visible light, ultraviolet light, X-rays,
and gamma rays.
Let’s Talk Vocabulary
 Red Shift - When a star is
moving away from Earth, its
electromagnetic spectrum
stretches; the result is that
wavelengths appear longer
and shift toward the red end
of the spectrum.
 Blue Shift - When a star is
moving toward Earth, its
electromagnetic spectrum
shrinks; the result is that
wavelengths appear shorter
and shift toward the blue
end of the spectrum.
Let’s Talk Vocabulary
 Parallax - the apparent movement of an object,
depending on the position of the observer.
“As Earth moves in its orbit around the sun, it changes position with respect to the stars;
consequently, over time, people on Earth view the stars from slightly different positions.
Astronomers calculate how these tiny variations in position correspond to the distance to
a star.”
Life Cycle of a Star
Nebulas are clouds of gas and dust in space. Gravity pulls the gas and dust particles
closer and closer together until conditions are right for nuclear fusion to begin
***Mass of a star will determine what stage of the life cycle it is in and where it
will end up.***
Types of Stars
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Blackbody Curve
Blackbody Curve
As the wavelength increases the temperature decreases
*** Not only does it give us information about the color but we can also look
at temperature and destination (what will the star become)
1. Go to the “Assessments” tab:
2. Click on the “S1 Our Universe 03: Life Cycle of a Star”
3. Answer all questions and at the bottom check the box, and finally click
“submit”.
Lesson 4: Origin and Expansion of the Universe
Lesson Objectives
Formation of the Universe
 Cosmologist study the origin and structure of the
universe.
The Big Bang Theory – formation of the universe, not the TV show
Type
Shape
Description
Spiral
Pinwheel
Revolve around a single point
Barred Spiral
Pinwheel
with a bar
in the
center
Has an elongated center that
looks like a bar
Elliptical
Circular or
oval
Most of the objects are
concentrated in the center. From
far away look like one big star
Irregular
Undefined
shape
Not Spiral or Elliptical
Types of Galaxies
***All galaxies are held together
by gravity (Newton’s Law of
Universal Gravity***
Image
Big Bang vs. Steady State
Hubble
 Hubble is a real person and not just the name of a
telescope?
Doppler Effect
Hubble law
The Temperature of the Universe
Amo Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson
COBE
WMAP
1. Go to the “Assessments” tab:
2. Click on the “S1 Our Universe 04: Origin and Expansion of the Universe”