NGC 5579

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/ngc-5579

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 NGC 5579?NGC 5579 is a bright emission nebula in the Serpens constellation. It is a huge cloud of glowing gas where new stars are forming.
2. How does NGC 5579 make light?Hot young stars inside the nebula send out ultraviolet light. This light ionizes hydrogen gas, which then glows in visible colors.

Ionization: The process by which an atom or molecule loses or gains electrons, acquiring a net electric charge.
Nucleosynthesis: The process by which new atomic nuclei are created from pre-existing nucleons (protons and neutrons).
Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The balance between the inward force of gravity and the outward pressure within a star or nebula.