NAME _____________________________________________________

DATE_______________ CLASS______

STARS LAB
Write ALL of your answers in your OWN words.
Complete the tasks in ANY order that you choose.

TASK# 1: MAGNITUDE & BRIGHTNESS

You will begin by learning how to identify stars by their magnitude (brightness), color,
and temperature, and spectral class.
PART 1:
Use the Stars: Lights in the Sky (www.seasky.org/celestial-objects/stars.html) and write
out the answers to the following questions on the sheet of paper provided to be turned
in.
1. Name the brightest star in the known universe. _____________________________
2. What is its magnitude? ________________________
3. Are the brightest stars low magnitude or high magnitude?
______________________________

4. Make a top 10 list of the names of the 10 brightest stars in the known universe and
their magnitudes. (http://space.about.com/od/stars/tp/brighteststars.htm)

Star Magnitude

5. Design a colored diagram on your paper that displays the colors of the hottest and
coolest stars. Label the spectral classes (O, B, A, F, G, K, M) appropriately under each
star color in your diagram as well as the temperature.
PART 2: Use your chart and the H-R diagram to answer the following questions.
7. - What color is the brightest star?____________________________
8. - What color is the coolest star? ____________________________
9. -What color is our sun? ____________________________
10. -What spectral class of stars is the hottest? ____________________________
11. -What spectral class of stars is the coolest? ____________________________
12. - What spectral class is our sun? ____________________________

TASK #2: NUCLEAR FUSION

Continue to read on to the section: A Nuclear Fireplace about NUCLEAR FUSION in
the Stars: Lights in the Sky paper. The picture there shows how stars take hydrogen
and changes it to helium to make energy in the star. Your task is to design a 3-D
model of this nuclear reaction with clay. Place these on a piece of paper and label the
names of the elements and draw arrows showing the progression of the reaction.
Each Person needs to complete their OWN paper. BE PREPARED TO EXPLAIN THE
PROCESS!

TASK #3: STARS Star Name

Now check out the All Star Line Up choose 1 of the stars. Type of Star
(www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/AllStarTop.html&fr=t Spectral Class
and) Organize the information provided about your chosen star into
Distance
FOLDABLE of your choice. Be creative with your organization!! You
Claim to Fame
MAY NOT chose the same star as any other person at your table.
Use your OWN words; do not copy information from the paper. Magnitude

Viewing
INCLUDE: Name, type of Star, spectral class, distance from earth, Diagram
size, claim to fame, magnitude, where and when to see it and
diagrams.
TASK #4: LIFE OF A STAR
Draw and label a diagram of the life of an AVERAGE STAR and the life of a MASSIVE
STAR in the space below: