Mon Prof Augmenté
Spinning Cloud Becomes a Star
Age 13 · Physics
A huge cloud of gas and dust pulls inward and begins to spin. As it shrinks, it flattens into a disk, and its hot dense centre starts to shine.
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Age 13: open this week
Browse Age 13
In the picture
- Spherical cloud: a cold, slowly turning mass of gas and dust
- Inward-curving arrows: material being pulled toward the centre
- Flattened disk: gas and dust settling into a broad, flat ring
- Bright central orb: the dense middle growing hotter and brighter
- Outer pebble: a small solid grain in the disk
Examples
- A figure skater spins faster when pulling in her arms.
- Pizza dough spun in the air flattens into a round disk.
Key takeaways
- A collapsing spinning cloud speeds up and flattens.
- Its centre grows hot and dense enough to become a star.
Quiz: Spinning Cloud Becomes a Star (Age 13)
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As a spinning cloud collapses, what happens to it?
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What happens to the centre of the collapsing cloud?
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What is the flattened disk made of?
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