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Astronomy & Space vocabulary · Stars & Stellar Evolution

Nuclear fusion

Meaning in astronomy & space, with examples

nounCommon term

In astronomy & space, nuclear fusion means: A reaction in which light atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen, join to form heavier ones, such as helium, releasing a huge amount of energy. It powers the Sun and other stars.

In Turkish: nükleer füzyon, çekirdek kaynaşması

How it is used

In astronomy it explains how stars shine and how chemical elements are made. Stars 'fuse hydrogen into helium' in their cores. Outside astronomy the term is common in energy research and news about fusion reactors.

Example sentences

  1. Nuclear fusion in the Sun's core turns hydrogen into helium.

  2. When a star runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion, its core begins to collapse.

Common collocations

  • hydrogen fusion
  • fusion reaction
  • nuclear fusion in the core
  • fuse hydrogen into helium
  • starA huge ball of hot gas, mainly hydrogen and helium, that produces light and heat through nuclear reactions in its core. The Sun is the nearest star to Earth.
  • SunThe star at the centre of our solar system. Its gravity holds the planets in their orbits, and its light and heat make life on Earth possible.
  • main sequenceThe long, stable stage of a star's life when it fuses hydrogen into helium in its core. On a chart of star brightness against temperature, these stars form a diagonal band.
  • red giantA large, cool and very bright star in a late stage of its life. It forms when a star like the Sun uses up the hydrogen in its core and its outer layers swell.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Stars & Stellar Evolution

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