Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
A star is a very large ball of gas in space that is glowing in visible light because it is so hot.
About Stars
- The Sun is the closest star to Earth.
- Stars come in many different sizes. Our Sun is a medium sized star called a Main Sequence Star.
- Most stars in the Universe are smaller than The Sun and are often White Dwarfs. However, there are many stars that are much larger than The Sun and are often Red Giants or Red Super Giants.
- Stars are held together in large groups called a Galaxy.
- The Sun is the only star close enough to affect the Earth. Most stars are many light years away.
- The closest star to The Sun is Alpha Centauri which is 4.23 Light Years away.
This image shows thousands of stars. |
References
AQA
- Star, pages 130, 274-5, 277, 290, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA
- Star; life cycle, pages 275, 282-5, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA
- Star; main sequence, pages 282-3, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Edexcel
- Stars (life cycle), page 62, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Stars, page 118, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
- Stars; life cycles, pages 122-123, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
OCR
- Stars, page 99, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Stars, pages 238-239, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR