ASTRONOMY

describe the different

Objectives characteristics of stars;
1
At the end and
of the
lesson, you classify stars according to
should be 2 its characteristics and
able to: properties.
 Let’s Think!

Check-in

You may recall in your Grade 8 science that you

learned about meteor showers. Meteor showers
are space rocks that fall into the atmosphere of
earth.
 Let’s Think!

Why do you see Different Constellations at

Different Times of the Year?

Earth has two motions: Rotation and Revolution

When it rotates, it means that it spins on its axis
to complete 1 day.

Revolution pertains to the movement of earth

on its orbit.
 GALAXY
Galaxies consist of stars,
planets, and vast clouds
of gas and dust, all bound
together by gravity.
4 main types:
spiral
elliptical
peculiar
irregular
The Milky Way

Our home galaxy

is called the Milky
Way.
Stars are giant balls of hot gas – mostly hydrogen, with some
helium and small amounts of other elements.

Every star has its life cycle, ranging from a few million to
trillions of years, and its properties change as it ages.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of Stars
Brightness

● The absolute brightness or absolute magnitude (M) is

the brightness a star would have if all stars were located at a
standard distance of 32.6 light-years from Earth.

○ It measures the “true” or intrinsic brightness of stars.

○ Bright objects have lower values for absolute magnitude.

 Learn about It!

Characteristics of Stars
Brightness

● Absolute brightness is the best way to compare the

brightness of the star today, but it also has limitations.

○ Some stars are bright in some wavelengths while appearing

dim in others.

○ The sensitivity of the instruments being used such as

telescopes should also be considered.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of Stars
Size

● The size of stars is measured

based on the sun’s radius.

○ Sun is a medium star.

○ A star with one solar radius

has the same Comparison of sizes of planets
size as the sun. and stars
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of Stars
Size

● Stars that are much

larger than the sun are
called giant, supergiant,
or hypergiant stars.

● Stars which are smaller

UY Scuti, a red hypergiant, is the
than the sun are called largest known star in the universe with
dwarf stars. a measurement of 1700 solar radii.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of Stars
Mass

● The mass of stars is based

on the mass of
the sun.

○ A star with a solar mass of

one has the same size as R136a1, despite being smaller than
other stars, is the most massive which
the sun which is 1.989 × is 265 times the mass of the sun.
1030 kg.
2. It measures the “true” or intrinsic
brightness of stars.
a. Absolute brightness
b. Apparent brightness
6-7
Give two sizes of a star