H-R Diagram Flashcards
A graph plotting stars based on the measurements of brightness and temperature
H-R Diagram
The color of a star is based on its ____________
Temperature
The hottest stars are
Blue
The coolest stars are
Red
Temperature on the x axis of the H-R Diagram increases from _______ to _______ which is different than any other graph we have ever used
right to left
The amount of energy a star emits, also known as brightness
luminosity
This measurement tells us how bright an object appears from Earth
apparent magnitude
The measure of a star’s brightness as if it were at a standard distance of 10 parsecs from the observer
absolute magnitude
Stars are classified by the elements they absorb. There are seven main types (O, B, A, F, G, K and M
spectral class
Our Sun falls within this spectral class
G
Our Sun is this color of star
yellow
About 90 percent of the stars in the universe including our Sun fall within this classification of stars
Main Sequence
This is a dying star, our own Sun will turn into this type of star. It has a reddish orange color, high luminosity, low temperature. Spectral class K-M
Red Giants
These are the largest stars in the universe in terms of volume, but are not very massive. The range in colors of reddish orange or blue. They are high luminosity and high or low temperature. Spectral classes K-M or B-A
Supergiants
This is a very small dense star that is usually the size of a planet. It is formed when a low mass star has exhausted all of its fuel. Its color is white and it is low luminosity, high temperature. Spectral class B, O, A
White dwarf
