Unit 12 Guide: Concepts of Earth Science
Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe
Key Concepts and Questions to Be Able to Explain and Answer:
1. What are the names and characteristics of the three types of galaxies? What type of galaxy is the
Milky Way galaxy?
2. What evidence do scientists use to support the Big Bang Theory? Explain the sequence of events
predicted by the Big Bang Theory.
3. Explain Hubble’s Law.
4. Compare and contrast the apparent and actual motion of stars. How can scientists know if a star or
galaxy is moving toward or away from Earth?
5. What is the difference between absolute and apparent magnitude? What is luminosity?
6. What are the three types of spectra? How can scientists use absorption spectra to determine the
elements that compose a star?
7. What are stars made of and how do they produce their light? What is the difference between fission
and fusion? Which do stars use to generate energy?
8. What is the relationship between a star’s temperature, luminosity, absolute magnitude and color?
9. How can parallax be used to determine the distance to stars?
10. Be able to use an H-R diagram to plot the temperature, absolute magnitude, and luminosity of a star.
Be able to use an H-R diagram to determine the stage in stellar evolution of a given star.
11. What are the stages in the life of a high mass star? A low mass star? Be able to give characteristics
of stars at each stage.
12. Be able to label and describe the three layers of the Sun’s interior: core, radiative zone, convective
zone. Be able to label and describe the three layers of the Sun’s atmosphere: photosphere,
chromosphere, and corona.
13. What causes these surface features of the sun: sunspots, prominences, flares, and coronal mass
ejections?
Assessments
Quiz
Date: _____________
*There will not be a unit test for this material. However, questions from this unit will be on the
final exam*
Reading Assignments:
Students will be assigned readings from the following pages in the text book.
Chapter 29
pages 755-773
Chapter 30
pages 774-805
Vocabulary
Star
Sunspot
Absolute magnitude
prominence
Apparent magnitude
flare
Light-year
coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
Parallax
H-R diagram
Core
radiative zone
Photosphere
fission
Chromosphere
fusion
Corona
aurora
cosmic background radiation
main sequence
nebula
giant
white dwarf
supergiant
convective zone
neutron star
black hole
constellation
emission spectra
galaxy
Doppler effect
Red Shift
Big Bang Theory
luminosity
planetary nebula
pulsar
quasar
absorption spectra
continuous spectra