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Components of the Universe
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Red Giant
A luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass in a late phase of stellar evolution, characterized by its large size and reddish hue.
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)
The thermal radiation left over from the time of recombination in Big Bang cosmology, often considered the 'afterglow' of the Big Bang.
Interstellar Medium
The matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy, composed of gas, dust, and cosmic rays.
Nebula
A vast cloud of dust and gas in space, nebulae are often the birthplaces of stars.
Quasar
An extremely luminous active galactic nucleus, powered by a supermassive black hole surrounded by an accreting disc of gas.
Pulsar
A highly magnetized rotating neutron star or white dwarf, which emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles.
Magnetosphere
The region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are controlled by that object's magnetic field.
Astrophysical Jet
A phenomenon where outflows of matter are ejected from the center of an astronomical object at high speeds along its magnetic poles.
Dark Matter
A type of matter that does not emit light or energy, thus is invisible, but its existence and properties are inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter.
White Dwarf
A stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter, they are very dense and represent the final evolutionary state of stars not massive enough to become neutron stars or black holes.
Supernova
A powerful and luminous stellar explosion that occurs at the end of a star's life cycle, often leading to the creation of heavier elements.
Cosmic Ray
Highly energetic atomic nuclei or other particles, traveling through space at nearly the speed of light, originating from the Sun, outside the Solar System, or even distant galaxies.
Galaxy
A massive system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter, bound together by gravity.
Accretion Disk
A structure formed by diffused material in orbital motion around a massive central body, typically a star, white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.
Black Hole
A region of spacetime exhibiting such strong gravitational effects that nothing can escape from inside it, not even light.
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