white dwarfs
Compressed solar corpses
White dwarfs are dense stellar remnants—what remains after a sun-like star exhausts its nuclear fuel and sheds its outer layers.
Despite being roughly Earth-sized, a white dwarf packs a star's mass into that small volume, making it extraordinarily dense.
They shine dimly from residual heat, slowly cooling over billions of years.
The nearest white dwarf is Sirius B, companion to the brightest star in our sky.
Ionized gas from dying star
- red giantAged star with cooled, expanded envelope
- main sequenceStable stellar burning phase
- binary systemNumeration with two values
- novaTemporary stellar brightening event
neutron star · photosphere · luminosity · atmosphere · hydrogen · helium · carbon · oxygen
Inward fall from gravity
- crystallizationForming ordered solid structure
- convectionHeat transfer via motion
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
- conductionHeat transfer through contact
Heat-bearing electromagnetic waves
- ultravioletWavelengths shorter than violet
- fadingGradual loss of intensity
- dimmingDecreasing in brightness
planetary nebula
Ionized gas from dying star
- red giantAged star with cooled, expanded envelope
- main sequenceStable stellar burning phase
- binary systemNumeration with two values
nova · neutron star · photosphere · luminosity · atmosphere · hydrogen · helium · carbon · oxygen · neon
gravitational collapse
Inward fall from gravity
- crystallizationForming ordered solid structure
- convectionHeat transfer via motion
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
conduction · opacity · entropy
magnetic field
Force zone around magnets
- surface gravityGravitational acceleration at ground level
infrared
Heat-bearing electromagnetic waves
- ultravioletWavelengths shorter than violet
- fadingGradual loss of intensity
- dimmingDecreasing in brightness
white, dwarf, whiten, whitish, whiteness, whitened, whitener, dwarfish, whiteboard