Astronomy Objects

Cas A
(Cassiopeia A)

IGR J17091

IIb Supernova shell remnant in

constellation Cassiopeia in the Milky
Way
Strong radio source
X-ray source
11000 LY away
Ap Mag(V)(Peak): 6
Picture: Red Infrared, orange visible, blue
and green x-ray

NGC6888/
WR136

A stellar mass black hole 28000 LY

away in constellation Scorpius in
Milky Way Galaxy
Between 3-10 solar masses
Binary system in which a star orbits
the black hole
Accretion disk has winds at 20
million mph
X-ray variability patterns

NGC 6888
AKA the crescent Nebula
emmission nebula in constellation
Cygnus
formed by the fast stellar wind from
WR-136
Ap Mag(V): 7.4
WR 136
Wolf-Rayet star located in
constellation Cygnus
center of the crescent nebula
approximately 4.5 million years old
nearing the end of its life
UV rays emitted
Ap Mag(V): 7.48

PSR J0108-1431

Solitary pulsar 770 LY away in

constellation Cetus
166 million years old
X-ray emission
Ap Mag(V): 27.8

Cygnus X-1

SXP 1062

M1

(Messier object M1)

(Crab Nebula)

V838 Monocerotis

Delta Cephei

Black hole & galactic X-ray source

6100 LY away & 5 million years old
Ap Mag(V): 8.95
Ab Mag: -6.5
15 solar masses
3-4x10^5 solar luminosity
Spectral Type: O9.7

It is a pulsar within a supernova

remnant 180000 LY away in the
constellation Tucana
Remnant is 744 LY across
Located in the wing of the small
Magellanic cloud; binary system
X-ray emissions
Rotates slowly (18 mins per rotation)
Supernova remnant and pulsar wind
nebula in constellation Taurus
Ap Mag(V): 8.4
6500 LY from earth
Diameter of 11 LY
At the center lies the Crab Pulsar, a
neutron star 28-30 km across, which
emits pulses of radiation from gamma
rays to radio waves. A bright
supernova recorded by Chinese
astronomers in 1054

A red variable star in constellation

Monoceros 20000 LY away
Ap Mag(V): 15.74 (Max: 6.75)
May possibly be an L-type supergiant
Spectral type: M
Infrared wavelengths

A binary star system 887 LY away

Spectral type: F5-G3
Prototype of Cepheid variable stars
Type I (classical) Cepheid
Ap Mag(V): 3.48-4.37

alpha Orionis
(Betelgeuse)

SN 2010JL

NGC 3582

A complex nebula in the star forming

region RCW 57

Type II Supernovas/supernova
remnants
A region of clouds of gas and plasma
where stars are forming
filled with ionized hydrogen gas
X-ray, optical, and radio
196000 LY away from earth
blows cosmic super-bubbles

Antares
(a Scorpii)

A supernova found in galaxy UGC

5189A about 160 million LY away
from earth
X-ray evidence of a supernova
shockvace breaking through a cocoon
of gas surrounding the star that
exploded
Supernova occurred in October 2010
earth time

(UGC 6263)

LHa115-N19

Semi-regular pulsating red super-giant

at least the size of the orbit of Mars
and at max the orbit of Jupiter
425 LY away 1500 diameter of sun
M type surface temperature
Only 13% of the radiant energy is
emitted in the form of visible light, so
if our eyes were sensitive to radiation
at all wavelengths, Betelguese would
appear as the brightest star in the sky left corner
Ap Mag(V): 0.3-1.2
Ab Mag(V): -6.02
Spectral Type: M2

A supergiant star in the constellation

scorpius

Betelgeuse Top

Rho Ophiuchi cloud

complex

IC 1396

(Elephant's Trunk
nebula)

550 LY away from earth

radiates energy in the infrared part of
the spectrum
Has a secondary companion star
Antares B
Spectral Type: M1.5
A dark nebula of gas and dust located
1 degree south of the star p Ophiuchi
of the constellation Ophiuchus
One of the closest star-forming
regions to the solar system
460 LY away from earth
Visible with embedded 425 infrared
sources detected
3000 solar masses in material
A concentration of interstellar gas and
dust in the star cluster IC 1396
2400 LY away from earth
Appears at visible light wavelengths
site of star formation

Visible to
typical
human
eye[1]

Yes

No

Apparent Brightness
Number of stars
magnitud relative
brighter than
e
to Vega apparent magnitude[2]
1.0

250%

0.0

100%

1.0

40%

15

2.0

16%

48

3.0

6.3%

171

4.0

2.5%

513

5.0

1.0%

1602

6.0

0.40%

4800

7.0

0.16%

14000

8.0

0.063%

42000

9.0

0.025%

121000

10.0

0.010%

340000

Apparent visual magnitudes of known celestial objects

App. Mag.
(V)(Visible)

Celestial object

38.00

Rigel as seen from 1 astronomical unit. It would be seen as a large very bright bluish
scorching ball of 35 apparent diameter.

30.30

Sirius as seen from 1 astronomical unit

29.30

Sun as seen from Mercury at perihelion

27.40

Sun as seen from Venus at perihelion

26.74

Sun as seen from Earth (about 400,000 times brighter than mean full moon)

-12.92

Maximum brightness of full moon

-1.47

Brightest star (except for the Sun) at visible wavelengths: Sirius

0.42

Betelgeuse

Convent
Surface
Actual
ional
temperature
apparent
Class
color
[8]
color[9][10]
descript
(kelvin)
[11]
ion

Mass[8]
(solar
masses)

Radius[8 Luminosity
Hydroge
]
[8]
n
(solar (bolometric
lines
radii)
)

Fraction of all
mainsequencestars[12

33,000 K

blue

blue

16
M

6.6
R

30,000
L

Weak

~0.00003%

10,000
33,000 K

blue
white

deep blue
white

2.1
16M

1.8
6.6R

2530,000
L

Medium

0.13%

7,50010,000
white
K

blue white

1.4
2.1M

1.4
1.8R

525 L

Strong

0.6%

6,0007,500
K

yellow
white

white

1.04
1.4M

1.15
1.4R

1.55 L

Medium

3%

5,2006,000
K

yellow

yellowish
white

0.8
0.96
0.61.5 L Weak
1.04M 1.15 R

7.6%

3,7005,200
K

orange

pale yellow
orange

0.45
0.8M

Very
weak

12.1%

2,0003,700
K

red

light orange
red

0.7
0.45M R

Very
weak

76.45%

1,3002,000
K

red
brown

scarlet

Unknow Unknow
Unknown
n
n

Extremely
weak

7001,300 K brown

magenta

Unknow Unknow
Unknown
n
n

Extremely
weak

700 K

dark purple

Unknow Unknow
Unknown
n
n

Extremely
weak

dark
brown

0.7
0.080.6
0.96R L
0.08 L

WolfRayet stars (often referred to as WR stars) are evolved, massive stars (over 20 solar masses
initially) which are losing mass rapidly by means of a very strongstellar wind, with speeds up to 2000
km/s. While our own Sun loses approximately 1014 solar masses every year, WolfRayet stars
typically lose 105 solar massesa year.[1]
WolfRayet stars are extremely hot, with surface temperatures in the range of 30,000 K to around
200,000 K.[2] They are also highly luminous, from tens of thousands to several million times the
bolometric luminosity of the Sun, although not exceptionally bright visually since most of their output
is in far ultraviolet and even soft X-rays.
Black-body radiation is the type of electromagnetic radiation within or surrounding a body in
thermodynamic equilibrium with its environment, or emitted by a black body (an opaque and nonreflective body) held at constant, uniform temperature. The radiation has a specific spectrum and
intensity that depends only on the temperature of the body.
A black-body at room temperature appears black, as most of the energy it radiates is infra-red and
cannot be perceived by the human eye. At higher temperatures, black bodies glow with increasing
intensity and colors that range from dull red to blindingly brilliant blue-white as the temperature
increases.
Black holes are near-perfect black bodies, and it is believed that they emit black-body radiation
(called Hawking radiation), with a temperature that depends on the mass of the hole.
As the temperature increases past about 500 degrees Celsius, black bodies start to emit significant
amounts of visible light. Viewed in the dark, the first faint glow appears as a "ghostly" grey. With
rising temperature, the glow becomes visible even when there is some background surrounding light:
first as a dull red, then yellow, and eventually a "dazzling bluish-white" as the temperature rises.
When the body appears white, it is emitting a substantial fraction of its energy as ultraviolet
radiation. The Sun, with an effective temperature of approximately 5800 C, is an approximately
black body with an emission spectrum peaked in the central, yellow-green part of the visible
spectrum, but with significant power in the ultraviolet as well.
A magnetar is a type of neutron star with an extremely powerful magnetic field, the decay of which
powers the emission of high-energy electromagnetic radiation, particularly X-rays and gamma rays.
Magnetars are differentiated from other neutron stars by having even stronger magnetic fields, and
rotating comparatively slowly, with most magnetars completing a rotation once every one to ten
seconds,[3] compared to less than one second for a typical neutron star. This magnetic field gives
rise to very strong and characteristic bursts of X-rays and gamma rays. The active life of a magnetar
is short. Their strong magnetic fields decay after about 10,000 years, after which activity and strong
X-ray emission cease. Given the number of magnetars observable today, one estimate puts the
number of inactive magnetars in the Milky Way at 30 million or more.
When the spin, temperature and magnetic field of a newly formed neutron star falls into the right
ranges, a dynamo mechanism could act, converting heat and rotational energy into magnetic energy,
and increasing the magnetic field, normally an already enormous 10^8 teslas to more than
10^11 teslas (or 10^15 gauss). The result is a magnetar. It is estimated that about one in ten
supernova explosions results in a magnetar rather than a more standard neutron star or pulsar.
A pulsar (portmanteau of pulsating star) is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a

beam of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can only be observed when the beam of emission
is pointing toward the Earth, much the way a lighthouse can only be seen when the light is pointed in
the direction of an observer, and is responsible for the pulsed appearanceof emission. Neutron stars
are very dense, and have short, regular rotational periods. This produces a very precise interval
between pulses that range from roughly milliseconds to seconds for an individual pulsar.

Semiregular variables
These are red giants or supergiants. Semiregular variables may show a definite period on occasion,
but more often show less well-defined variations that can sometimes be resolved into multiple
periods. A well-known example of a semiregular variable is Betelgeuse, which varies from about
magnitudes +0.2 to +1.2 (a factor 2.5 change in luminosity). At least some of the semi-regular
variables are very closely related to Mira variables, possibly the only difference being pulsating in a
different harmonic.

Type Ia supernovae are caused not by high-mass stars reaching the end of their lives, but by
white dwarves that gain too much mass. They generally occur in binary systems in which a white
dwarf pulls enough mass off of its companion to go supernova. This limit is 1.4 solar masses. When
the white dwarf exceeds this limit, it blows itself up in a supernova that is significantly brighter
than a Type II supernova. All Type Ia supernovae are of the same brightness, and this fact can be
used to determine intergalactic distances.
Type II supernovae
A Type II supernova is where a star of at least eight solar masses cannot fuse any more
elements together to create energy. This happens when iron is created; no nuclear energy can be
made from iron with fusion or fission. When this happens, the star blows itself apart. Heavy
elements - elements with atomic numbers greater than 26 - are created in these supernovae. If the
star's core has a mass of 1.4 to 3.2 solar masses, a neutron star is formed. Neutron stars are
incredibly dense - a neutron star with a diameter of about 12 km has the same mass as the Sun.
Some neutron stars rotate quickly enough to emit beams of radiation at the magnetic poles; these
are called pulsars, as the beams appear to "pulse" at a constant rate. However, if the core has a
mass greater than 3.2 solar masses, a black hole is formed. These are made of degenerate
elementary particles and have infinite density. Their gravity is so great that at a certain distance,
called the event horizon, not even light can escape. This is where they get the name "black"
holes.
Cepheids
In both Cepheids and RR Lyrae, the longer the period, the higher the luminosity. Cepheids typically
have periods of about 1 to 50 days. Type I Cepheids, or Classical Cepheids, are brighter, newer
Population I stars (see section about stellar populations below for an explanation). Type II Cepheids
are similar to Type I in terms of the relationship, but they are smaller, dimmer Population II stars.
These are also called W Virginis stars.
RR Lyrae are different from Cepheids in that they are older and fainter than Cepheids. RR Lyrae
stars typically have shorter periods than Cepheids - usually less than one day. They have masses
about half that of our Sun, and are Population II stars. Also, the luminosity does not increase as
much to a change in period, as most RR Lyrae have absolute magnitudes close to 0.75.
Kepler's First Law

The first law says that all of the orbits of the planets are elliptical with the Sun at one focus.

Kepler's Second Law

The second law is slightly more complex. This law says that a planet traces out equal areas in equal
time.
Kepler's Third Law

All of these laws are important for a basic knowledge of astrophysics, but Kepler's Third Law is the
one of most relevance to the Astronomy event. According to this law, the square of the satellite's
period is directly proportional to the cube of the length of its semi-major axis.