![]() ![]() One of these contracting masses of gas, known as a protostar, represents a star’s nascent phase. Over the course of thousands of years, gravity causes pockets of dense matter inside the nebula to collapse under their own weight. As a general rule, the more massive the star, the shorter its life span.īirth takes place inside hydrogen-based dust clouds called nebulae. The life cycle of a star spans billions of years. It’s impossible to know how many stars exist, but astronomers estimate that in our Milky Way galaxy alone, there are about 300 billion. They are the building blocks of galaxies, of which there are billions in the universe. ![]() Aside from our sun, the dots of light we see in the sky are all light-years from Earth. Stars are huge celestial bodies made mostly of hydrogen and helium that produce light and heat from the churning nuclear forges inside their cores. A correct, albeit less soothing, rendition might be: Emit, emit, gigantic ball of gas. Gently singing Twinkle, twinkle, little star may lull a baby to sleep, but beyond the confines of Earth’s atmosphere, the words aren’t exactly accurate.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |