Author Question: Considering both longevity and luminosity, which of these stars would be the most likely candidate ... (Read 65 times)

HCHenry

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 591
Considering both longevity and luminosity, which of these stars would be the most likely candidate for seeking extraterrestrial intelligence?
 
  A) Spica, a B3 main-sequence star
  B) Sirius B, a white dwarf
  C) Antares, a M3 supergiant
  D) 61 Cygni, a K2 main-sequence star
  E) Barnard's star, a M5 dwarf

Question 2

Why is M-42, the Orion Nebula, so important to us?
 
  What will be an ideal response?



juliaf

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 344
Answer to Question 1

D

Answer to Question 2

It is the closest and brightest region of active star formation visible to most of the astronomers of the world. It is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, and a cinch to find just below the belt of Orion. We can detect young protostars still hiding behind their cocoons of dust with infrared telescopes, and watch their T-Tauri winds blow away the dust and reveal the young stars stabilizing on the main sequence. Many of the protostars show dusty disks, suggesting that planet formation is routine, and some brown dwarfs are also evident, still hot from gravitational contraction.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

Cocaine was isolated in 1860 and first used as a local anesthetic in 1884. Its first clinical use was by Sigmund Freud to wean a patient from morphine addiction. The fictional character Sherlock Holmes was supposed to be addicted to cocaine by injection.

Did you know?

More than 34,000 trademarked medication names and more than 10,000 generic medication names are in use in the United States.

Did you know?

A good example of polar molecules can be understood when trying to make a cake. If water and oil are required, they will not mix together. If you put them into a measuring cup, the oil will rise to the top while the water remains on the bottom.

Did you know?

The average human gut is home to perhaps 500 to 1,000 different species of bacteria.

Did you know?

Cyanide works by making the human body unable to use oxygen.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library