Arcturus

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/arcturus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the spectral classification?K1.5III
2. What is the apparent magnitude?-0.05
3. Why is Arcturus important to scientists?Scientists study Arcturus to learn how stars grow old and become giant red stars. Its light helps them test telescopes and measure distances in space.
4. How big is Arcturus compared to the Sun?Arcturus is about 25 times larger in radius than the Sun, giving it a diameter of roughly 35 million kilometers. Even though it is bigger, its surface is cooler and looks reddish.

Red Giant Phase: An advanced evolutionary stage of stars where they expand significantly after exhausting core hydrogen.
Stellar Nucleosynthesis: The process by which elements are created within stars through nuclear fusion.
Galactic Halo: A spherical component of a galaxy containing old stars, globular clusters, and dark matter.
Tangential Velocity: The component of a star's velocity perpendicular to the line of sight from Earth.