Stellar astronomy

A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of light. The most prominent stars have been categorised into constellations and asterisms, and many of the brightest stars have proper names. Astronomers have assembled star catalogues that identify the known stars and provide standardized stellar designations. The observable universe contains an estimated to stars. Only about 4,000 of these stars are visible to t

spherical collection of stars

thumb|alt=A miasma of plasma|Sun's surface in false color|228x228px The photosphere is a star's outer shell from which light is radiated. It extends into a star's surface until the plasma becomes opaque, equivalent to an optical depth of approximately , or equivalently, a depth from which 50% of light will escape without being scattered.

changes to a star over its lifespan

process by which dense regions within molecular clouds in interstellar space, sometimes referred to as "stellar nurseries" or "star-forming regions", collapse and form stars

unit of measurement

gas flow from the stars

overview of formation and evolution of the Solar System

thumb|250px|right|The globular cluster M80. Stars in globular clusters are mainly older metal-poor members of [[population II.]] In astronomy, metallicity is the abundance of elements present in an object that are heavier than hydrogen and helium. Most of the normal currently detectable (i.e. non-dark) matter in the universe is either hydrogen or helium, and astronomers use the word metals as convenient shorthand for all elements except hydrogen and helium. This word-use is distinct from the conventional chemical or physical definition of a metal as an electrically conducting element. Sta

astronomical measure of the observed changes in the apparent places of stars in the sky

classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics

unit of radiant flux in astronomy

estimated temperature of an astronomical body

process by which the natural abundances of the chemical elements within stars change due to nuclear fusion reactions in the cores and their overlying mantles

outer region of the volume of a star

astronomical object in interstellar space or on an interstellar trajectory, such as a comet

group of stars sharing similar characteristics

magnetic field generated by the motion of conductive plasma inside a star

astronomical catalogue that lists stars

angular motion of a star about its axis

maximum luminosity of a body in hydrostatic equilibrium

astronomical bodies that appear not to move relative to each other in the night sky

Rising of stars prior to sunrise

study of the movement of stars

process by which the IAU names stars

structure of a star. Stars of different mass, age have varying internal structures. Stellar structure models describe the internal structure of a star in detail,make detailed predictions about the luminosity,the color,the future evolution of the star

Unique identifier given to variable stars

astronomy of self-luminous gaseous celestial bodies of great mass whose shape is usually spheroidal and whose size may be as small as the earth or larger than the earth's orbit

wide-band photometric system used in astronomy

the apparent motion of celestial objects around Earth due to the planet's rotation

coming together of two stars caused by gravity, gravitational radiation, or other mechanisms not well understood

mass of a star in astronomy

polarization state

cavity light years across filled with gas blown into the interstellar medium from a hot star

empirical function that describes the initial distribution of masses for a population of stars

branch of astrophysics that statistically models the collective movement of stars

nuclear fusion forming a helium-3 nucleus

extremely hot, dense region at the center of a star

region of faster than normal star formation

type of stellar collision

Equation in stellar astrophysics

astronomical measure of the number of stars or galaxies per luminosity interval

exoplanet and star catalogue funded by NASA

common gas atmosphere of a binary star system

Ratio in stellar astrophysics

Microturbulence is a form of turbulence that varies over small distance scales. (Large-scale turbulence is called macroturbulence.)

a paradoxical situation when elements of a binary star seem to evolve in discord with the established theories of stellar evolution

coherent, wave-shaped gaseous structure in the Milky Way

cosmic dust

two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star

aspect of history

Astronomical trend of star formation

weather conditions categorization system

dark nebula

astrophysical theory relating the radiative flux of a star to the local effective gravity

chronological list of developments in knowledge and records

Stellar astronomy - time scale

theorized range of orbits around a star on which brown dwarfs cannot exist as a companion object

small disk used in telescopes to block a bright object, to see fainter objects nearby