FU Orionis star

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/fu-orionis-star

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 stellar object type?Young stellar object (YSO) undergoing episodic accretion outbursts
2. What is the outburst luminosity increase?Can increase by several magnitudes (factor of ~100 or more)
3. Why does a FU Orionis star get so bright?A lot of material from its surrounding disk rushes onto the star very quickly, heating it up.
4. How long can a FU Orionis star stay bright?The bright phase can last for 50 to 100 years before it fades back.

Protostar: An early stage of stellar evolution before nuclear fusion begins, still gathering mass.
Protoplanetary Disk: A rotating disk of dense gas and dust surrounding a young star, from which planets may form.
Stellar Luminosity: The total amount of energy radiated by a star per unit of time.
Gravitational Instability: A condition where gravity causes a system to collapse or fragment, leading to rapid mass transfer.