Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Assignment 4
Nebula
22
Astronomy
Undergraduate 2
02/27/2012

Additional Astronomy Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Interstellar gas is composed mainly of
Definition
90% hydrogen, 9% helium by weight
Term
What happens to light passing through an even thin clouds of dust?
Definition
It dims and reddens the light of all more distant stars
Term
Which statement about dark dust clouds is true?
Definition
They can be penetrated only with longer wavelengths like radio and infared
Term
Some regions along the milky way appear dark because
Definition
stars in that region are hidden by dark dust particles
Term
Emission nebulae like M42 occur only near stars that emit large amounts of
Definition
ultraviolet radiation
Term
What is the primary visible color of an emission nebula?
Definition
red due to ionized hydrogen atms
Term
Due to absorption of shorter wavelengths by interstellar dust clouds, distant stars appear
Definition
redder
Term
The spectra of interstellar gas clouds show that they have the same basic composition as
Definition
stars
Term
Which statement is true about the interstellar medium?
Definition
We know more about the gas than the dust
Term
The density of interstellar dust is very low yet it still blocks starlight because
Definition
the dust particles are about the same size as teh light waves they absorb
Term
What two things are needed to create an emission nebulae?
Definition
hot stars and interstellar gas, particularly hydrogen
Term
A large gas cloud in the interstellar medium that contains several type O and B stars would appear to us as
Definition
an emission nebulae
Term
Neutral hydrogen atoms are best studied from their energy given off as
Definition
21-cm waves in the radio region
Term
Complex molecules in the interstellar medium are found
Definition
primarily in the dense dust clouds
Term
Why are dark dust clouds largely misnamed?
Definition
they contain more gas than dust
Term
THe average temp of the typical dark regions in space are
Definition
100 K
Term
When an electron in hydrogen changes its spin from the same to the opposite direction as the proton, it
Definition
emits a radio wave photon
Term
Interstellar dust clouds are best ovserved at what wavelength
Definition
radio
Term
Which of these is not a consqeunce of dust in the interstellar medium
Definition
red light from the emission nebulae
Term
It is important to study interstellar dust because
Definition
all of the above
Term
Reflection nebula have their blue colour because
Definition
the interstellar dust deflects the blue light
Term
What is true of emission nebula
Definition
all of the above
Supporting users have an ad free experience!