An astronomer detects an unidentified object at the centre of a cloud of gas.
| Observation | Result |
|---|---|
| size of the object | approximately the size of the Earth |
| object temperature and density | hot and very dense |
| nuclear fusion in the object | not occurring |
| motion of the surrounding gas | moving away from the object |
Suggest what type of object the astronomer has detected. Justify your answer using the observations.
Explain how the brightness of the object will change over billions of years.
75 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 7.3 Stars, covering 7.3.1 Evolution of stars similar to the Sun, 7.3.2 Evolution of massive stars, and 7.3.3 Observing the Universe. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.