| A | B |
|---|
| absolute magnitude | measure of the amount of light a star actually gives off |
| apparent magnitude | measure of the amount of light from a star that is received on Earth |
| big bang theory | States that 13.7 billion years ago, the universe began with a huge, fiery expolsion |
| black hole | When a star's core mass collapses to a point that it's gravity is so strong that not even light can escape. |
| chromosphere | layer of the Sun's atmosphere above the photosphere |
| constellation | group of stars that forms a pattern in the sky of familar objects |
| corona | outer most layer of the Sun's atmosphere with temps. up to 2 billionK |
| galaxy | large group of stars, dust, and gas held together by gravity |
| giant | late stage in the life of comparatively low-mass main sequence star in which hydrogen in the core is deleted |
| light year | distance light travels in one year |
| nebula | large cloud of gas and dust that contracts under gravitational force |
| neutron star | collapsed core of a supernova |
| photosphere | lowest layer of the Sun's atmosphere |
| sunspot | areas of the Sun's surface that are cooler and less bright than surrounding areas |
| supergiant | late stage of a massive star when the core heats up and can eventually explode. |
| white dwarf | late stage in the life cycle of a comparativel low mass main sequence stary |
