For each homework assignment, please write neatly, staple multiple pages, and show your work to receive full credit. You may not receive full credit for simply providing an answer. I encourage you to work with others on problems, but written up solutions must be your own. Oce hours and help sessions are available if you are having trouble with a problem. Remember to round your answers and include the appropriate units.
Write a paragraph or two explaing the life cycle of a star whose mass is greater than 8M
. Include what conditions are necessary for a black hole to form.
Let's say that we wanted to form a black hole whose event horizon reached the Earth, how massive would this blackhole need to be (in units of solar masses)? Given that the supermassive blackhole in the center of the Milky is estimated to be 3 million solar masses, how many times larger is our Earth-orbit sized black hole? What does this imply about the radius of the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way?
How can astronomers measure the total mass of a galaxy?
Carefully draw and label the main features of the Milky Way Galaxy. Include an edge-on and face-on view.