ribe how light radiation leaves a star, travels through m of space, and finally is seen by someone on Earth.
ribe how light radiation leaves a star, travels through m of space, and finally is seen by someone on Earth.
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Transcribed Image Text:### Learning Objective (LO1)
**Describe how light radiation leaves a star, travels through the vacuum of space, and finally is seen by someone on Earth.**
In this section, we will explore the journey of light radiation, from its origin in a star to its arrival at Earth.
Understanding this process involves several key concepts:
1. **Emission of Light from a Star**:
- Stars produce light through nuclear fusion in their cores, where hydrogen atoms combine to form helium, releasing energy in the form of light and heat.
- This light gradually moves outward from the core through the layers of the star, eventually escaping from the surface.
2. **Travel through the Vacuum of Space**:
- Once the light has left the star, it travels through the vacuum of space. Unlike sound, light does not require a medium to travel, so it can move through the emptiness of space without hindrance.
- Light travels at an incredible speed of approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (the speed of light in a vacuum).
3. **Arrival and Detection on Earth**:
- After traveling vast distances, sometimes many light-years, the light finally reaches Earth.
- Our atmosphere may affect the light slightly, but essentially it enters our line of sight, and we can detect it using telescopes and other optical instruments.
- The light captured allows astronomers to study properties of stars and other celestial objects, including their composition, temperature, motion, and more.
Through this step-by-step journey, light radiation plays a crucial role in our understanding of the universe and the celestial bodies within it.
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