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Chapter 18: Problem 1

If no one has ever seen a star go through the complete formation process, how are we able to understand how stars form?

Short Answer

Expert verified
We understand how stars form through observing many stars at different stages of their lifecycle, gathering data from various sources, creating theories of star formation based on those observations, testing those theories with computer simulations and constantly refining the theories based on new observations and physical laws.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Observation of Stars

Scientists haven't seen a star go through its complete formation process because it takes millions to billions of years for a star to form, much longer than a human lifespan. However, scientists can observe tens of thousands of stars at different stages of their lifecycle in our galaxy and beyond.
02

Gathering Data from Various Sources

There are numerous telescopes and satellites observing the universe across different wavelengths. Each offers a distinct 'view' of stars at various stages of formation. This provides scientists with a range of data points to work with when constructing the lifecycle of stars.
03

Understanding Star Formation Theories

Based on the observations and collected data, astronomers develop theories of star formation. These theories describe the physical processes involved in the transformation of a cloud of dust and gas into a star. Theories are used to explain observed facts and to predict new ones.
04

Computer Simulations and Models

To test these theories and to better understand the various stages of star formation, scientists often use computer simulations. These simulations use the laws of physics to model how a star might form from a cloud of dust and gas.
05

Constant Refinement

As more observations are made and as our understanding of physics evolves and improves, these theories and models are refined. Discrepancies between observations and models provide new insights that can lead to refined theories.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Why are the evolutionary tracks of high-mass stars different from those of low-mass stars? For which kind of star is the evolution more rapid? Why?

In the direction of a particular star cluster, interstellar extinction allows only \(15 \%\) of a star's light to pass through each kiloparsec \((1000 \mathrm{pc})\) of the interstellar medium. If the star cluster is \(3.0\) kiloparsecs away, what percentage of its photons survive the trip to the Earth?

In recent years astronomers have been able to learn about the character of the interstellar medium in the vicinity of the Sun. Search the World Wide Web for information about aspects of the nearby interstellar medium, including features called the Local Interstellar Cloud and the Local Bubble. How do astronomers study the nearby interstellar medium? What makes these studies difficult? Is the interstellar medium relatively uniform in our neighborhood, or is it clumpy? If the latter, is our solar system in a relatively thin or thick part of the interstellar medium? How is our solar system moving through the interstellar medium?

The Becklin-Neugebauer object is a newly formed star within the Orion Nebula. It is substantially more luminous than the other newly formed stars in that nebula. Assuming that all these stars began the process of formation of the same time, what can you conclude about the mass of the BecklinNeugebauer object compared with those of the other newly formed stars? Does your conclusion depend on whether or not the stars have reached the main sequence? Explain your reasoning.

If you looked at the spectrum of a reflection nebula, would you see absorption lines, emission lines, or no lines? Explain your answer. As part of your explanation, describe how the spectrum demonstrates that the light was reflected from nearby stars.
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