Dear Reader,
I don’t really remember how I became interested in space. Maybe it stemmed from my father’s appreciation for Vulcans and Jedis, for all things science fiction and fantasy. Maybe it stemmed from my elementary school trips to the high school planetarium. Maybe I became so terrified of the unknown that I just had to educate myself to feel secure again.
Though I think, above everything, I just wanted answers.
I wanted answers because I knew there were people out there who could provide them to me, because they’re just as fascinated as I am. To know that I’m not alone is one of the most uplifting feelings I could possibly imagine. It’s good to learn about what the things around us have to offer, because most of us take our surroundings for granted. See, you grow beside everything in your radius without truly realizing it. Just as vegetation gives us oxygen that pumps our lungs, stars recycle elements that build our bodies. Stars strengthen your bones and fuel your blood and die so you may live.
I hope you think about that the next time you find yourself staring into the night sky.
Sincerely,
Dana Campbell
Stellar Formation
A Step-by-Step Agenda
- Celestial Events
a) Stars are born in the interstellar medium, a region of space between stars
b) Explosion of a star at the end of its life (a supernova) will send out a shock wave through the interstellar medium
- Star Formation
a) Shock waves from the explosion slam into dark clouds, compressing the gas and dust within them
b) Dark clouds begin to contract and particles are squeezed together
c) Mutual gravitational attraction grows and a blob of gas forms, giving off energy
d) Temperature in the blob of gas increases, and the gas exerts pressure that counteracts the inward force of gravity
e) Millions of years after the initial shock wave, the contraction stops
f) The gas blob’s center then needs to be hot enough to begin thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium
- The Finished Star
a) Remains in a stable state for millions or billions of years
- Other Instances
a) Sometimes a cloud may be hot and dense enough to break up and contract under its own gravity
b) Large clouds can break into cloudlets and form star clusters
c) A collision of two stars within a dense cluster can form a new star
The Closest Stars to Earth
1. The Sun
2. Alpha Centauri
3. Barnard’s Star
4. Wolf 359
5. Lalande 21185
6. Sirius
7. Luyten 726-8
8. Ross 154
9. Ross 248
10. Epsilon Eridani
How many stars form in a day?
New stars are constantly formed across the expanse of our observable universe. So just how many does that total to in a single day?
6:08 PM EST 6 March 2014
Star formation is simply gas mass that is converted into stars. This is known as the star formation rate. Scientists have measured the rate of star birth and death in our galaxy by combin through remains of exploded stars from the last few million years. About once every 50 years, a massive star will become a supernova in the Milky Way. This means that the Milky Way galaxy alone creates around 7 new stars per year.
This rate also implies that four solar masses of interstellar gas are converted to stars each year. About 10 billion years into its life, the Milky Way galaxy has converted 90 percent of its initial gas content into stars. Scientists estimate these formation rates by observing supernovae in other galaxies or tracers associated with new stars. In the entire observable universe, an average of 275 million stars form each day.
"Determining star formation rates in our galaxy can be difficult because gas and dust in the Milky Way's spiral arms obscure star formation taking place all around us," said Dr. Bonnard Teegarden, INTEGRAL U.S. Project Scientist at NASA Goddard. "Gamma rays, more so than other forms of light, can penetrate this dust. This approach based on gamma rays is the most direct method available to determine the recent history of stellar activity."
A portrait of light
Will fleck and color the
Dark hearts down below
CLASS NOTES – Life Cycle of Stars
Stellar evolution: changes that occur during a star’s life
· Stars are formed in clouds of gas and dust between stars (nebulae, interstellar medium)
· Stars shine until they exhaust their fuel, then die based on their initial mass
Low-mass stars
· Yellow main sequence – star is fueled by hydrogen, which eventually fuses to helium in the core
· Red giant – expands when 90% of star’s hydrogen has been converted into helium; hydrogen fuses to helium in the shell around the core
· Helium core-burning star – helium fuses to the carbon in the core while hydrogen fuses to helium in the shell
· Double-shell burning – hydrogen and helium fuse in shells
· Planetary nebula – dying stars expels its layers and leaves behind an exposed inert core
· White dwarf – made primarily of hydrogen and oxygen because the core never grew hot enough to make these elements heavier
Medium-mass stars
· Protostar – sphere of hydrogen has not reached a high enough temperature to begin nuclear fusion
· Star – nuclear fusion begins in core
· Main sequence – stars remains in a stable period
· Red giant – hydrogen fusions ends and the star expands
· White dwarf – all fusion ends, and the star contracts into a sphere
· Black dwarf – the remaining energy of the star is dissipated, leaving nothing but a dark “cinder” sphere
High-mass stars
· Blue main sequence – hydrogen fuses to helium in the core
· Red Supergiant – hydrogen fuses to helium in shell around the helium core
· Helium core burning – helium fuses to carbon in the core while hydrogen fuses to helium in the shell
· Multiple-shell burning – multiple elements fuse within the shell
· Supernova – leaves a neutron star or a black hole behind
A Tale of Stars
The thing about death is that it’s unavoidable. People die, people leave—they take their last breath and that’s it. Some will tell you that the ones you love never really disappear, instead immortalized in the sky long after the air has left their lungs. Yet you still think it’s over, and you know that you do. But remember, now—it’s only over until lost souls ascend to the sky and breathe out their elements.
The sky collects the dead, and in the darkest of the dark, there is light. Human souls split the space continuum and shine out into the void. The elements that once composed mans’ bones are heated into spheres of light that pulse for millions and billions of years. It’s a revival within death, a spectacle in the night that reminds the living of those lost. Billions of souls hang in the skies and let us look to the past, breathing in stardust, exhaling light. They pulse like dying hearts but expand, expand, expand—building up new life high above the weary ground.
Pure stardust.
Within stellar dust
There is a chance of lighting
A scar in the sky
Now presenting
“SPECTACLES OF THE SKY”
A planetarium experience
Friday, March 28th @ 7:30 PM | Join us for stargazing, tall tales, and fun facts about our cosmos!
Space is limited. Call 215-333-555 or email to reserve your tickets in advance.
Asymmetry
Not all stars will look the same
And never do you see them cry
It’s part of nature, it’s in the name
To share a home up in the sky
Some are big, some are brighter
So pin the blame on those now worn
Some are small, some are lighter
Because difference is the biggest norm
Don’t shy away from the light that you know
There is no color in the midst of the dark
Fear does not allow you to grow
The journey is only yours to embark
If you could see we are all just stardust
You’d know your purpose is merely your own
It would stop us turning to ash and rust
From the oppositions we’ve forever shown
Greetings,
Unfortunately you don’t know who I am, and you probably never
will. Your world may not be developed enough to reach us yet.
That’s fine, though. I can still write in hopes that one day you’ll
stumble across this postcard.
See, I live among the stars, just as you do, but we are very, very far
away. It gets a bit lonely. Despite this, the universe is amazing.
It keeps me interested, and I hope it keeps you interested as well.
Please, if you ever feel lonely, look up at the stars. Believe that
there’s something else out there. It sounds terrifying, I know, but
it’s also very comforting. By the time you read this you’ll know
you were right all along.
– From somewhere deep in space
Once there was a star
That traveled very far
To scale the sky
And quickly fly
Faster than any car
Dear Journal,
I’m writing to you much later than usual. It’s not very typical of me, I guess. I can’t guarantee I’ll be writing early anymore. I’m preoccupied with some pretty neat stuff as of late.
See, I went stargazing for the first time a little while ago. An actual night out just staring at a blanket of black above my head. I wouldn’t describe it as thrilling, really—not even in the slightest. It was more soothing and hypnotic in a fascinating sort of way. It didn’t make me want to fall asleep, though. It’s difficult for me to explain.
I suppose I felt release. I felt like I could just leave the ground and float up into space until I became one with the cosmos. That, of course, would stop my heart. But if you think about it, stars are like little hearts that pulse until it’s time for them to stop. Imagine how much of the world they’ve seen—millions and billions of years through time. Maybe if I made it into space I could live as long as they do. I would scatter among the stars and have so much more time to grow.
I’d say this is a good first step.
The stars in the sky
Give light to the ground
Tiny bulbs up above
Will flicker off of glass
A window to beyond
Stars capture their light
And grow to shine in beauty
But live in darkness
The Largest Stars
- VY Canis Majoris
- VV Cephei A
- Mu Cephei
- V838 Monocerotis
- WOH G64
- V354 Cephei
- KY Cyngi
- KY Sagittarii
- RW Cephei
- Betelgeuse
While stars seem so close
They are just unreachable
Lost and too hidden
To whom it may concern,
I’m writing this letter because I needed to get my thoughts down. Or rather, I want to make clear what I’m about to say. I think it’s important for you to know that you’re made of stardust. And I don’t mean that in a sappy way, either. No, I’m talking full-out science that will tell you just the same.
See, no matter if your bones feel heavy or your lungs can’t take anymore, you are the greatest metaphorical star there is. You are hydrogen and carbon and oxygen, and you are pushed to the greatest limits so the world may see you shine in the darkest of times. You are so much more than what you see.
The cosmos build your bones and settle in your lungs and fuel your blood lifeline. Know that if you ever feel small, so are stars from a distance, and they have died so you may live. There is light in the voids of your soul. And if you realize that, well, you’ll remember you are nothing less than an entire galaxy.
Regards,
—Anonymous
Daily Horoscopes
Aries: Anything highlighting money will come easy for you.
Taurus: A chance encounter will leave you in the presence of an old friend.
Gemini: If your job is done correctly, you will be rewarded with nothing but the best.
Cancer: You may be feeling a bit under the weather. Don’t forget to pamper yourself!
Leo: Power struggles will decrease and pressures will ease.
Virgo: Careful financial review will reveal future expenses.
Libra: Consider all of your possibilities and make plans.
Scorpio: Reassess you resources. You have more thank you think.
Sagittarius: New information could change your options.
Capricorn: Take on a new responsibility for greater independence.
Aquarius: Someone’s saying nice things about you. Re-affirm your partnerships.
Pisces: You will feel full of energy and determined to complete a task ahead of you.
An Ode to the Stars
An ode to the stars
That shine so bright
And keep us warm
In the dead of night
An ode to the stars
Painted with dust
That carry the weight
Of all of our rust
An ode to the stars
Those distant shells
That split up the sky
And glimmer like bells
Works Cited
"Astronomy, Observational." Earth Sciences for Students. Gale, 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Brandenberger, Barry M., Jr. "Cosmos." Mathematics. Gale, 2002. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Britt, Robert R. "Half a Dozen Stars Born in Milky Way Every Year." Space.com. N.p., 5 Jan. 2006. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Lerner, Lee K., and Brenda W. Lerner. "Astronomy." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Gale, 2008. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Liu, Charles. "The Universe." The Handy Astronomy Answer Book. Gale, 2008. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
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