Characteristics

of Stars
 STAR

A star is a great ball of gas

formed mostly from element
hydrogen which is converted to
helium through a thermonuclear
reaction called fusion.
Life Cycle of Star
Life Cycle of Star
Different types of stars

Variable Stars
Binaries
Nova
Characteristics
of Stars
 Characteristics of Stars
The Sun is an average star:
it’s not hot or cool
it’s not large or small.

We can compare stars by color,

temperature, size, and brightness.
 The Sun is larger than 95% of the stars.

Dwarf Star Sun Giant Star Super Giant Star

 Color and
Temperature
 Color and Temperature
Color:
Stars range in color from
red, orange, yellow, white, to blue.

Red ----------- Yellow (Sun) ----------- > Blue

Temperature:
Stars range in temperature from 2000oC--50 000oC.

2 000oC ---------5 000oC (Sun)--------- > 50 000oC

 Color and Temperature
Color and temperature are related.

The 2000oC stars are red in color.

The 50 000oC stars are blue in color.

 Color and Temperature
Color Temp. (oC) Examples
Blue-white 12 000 Rigel, Spica

White 11 000 Vega,

White 10 500 Sirius

Yellow 6 000 Cepalla

Yellow 6 000 Sun

Orange 4 200 Arcturus

Red 3 000 Antares

Red 2 200 Betelgeuse

 Light-year
A lightyear is the distance traveled
by light (at the speed of 300, 000
km/s) for a period of one year.

Light travels about 9 trillion km in

one year.
 Another unit to express
distance is the parsec,
which is equivalent to 3.26
lightyears.
1 lightyear = 6 trillion km
1 parsec = 3.26 lightyears
Distance of Some Stars
Star Distance from Earth (in
lightyears)
Sirius 8.5
Vega 26.5
Antares 390
Betelgeuse 587
Polaris 680
Rigel 900
Size
Compare the sizes of the stars you see
at night to that of sun. Isn’t the sun
much bigger than of any of them?
Brightness
 Brightness
Brightness is related to the distance
from the earth and the age of the
star.

Classifying stars by their brightness.

1st magnitude stars are the brightest
6th magnitude stars are the weakest
 The magnitude of a star measures
brightness.

Apparent Magnitude – refers to the

brightness of a star as it appears to us.

Absolute Magnitude – refers to the actual

brightness given off by a star at a
standard distance.
 Spectrum
Spectroscope: Used to measure the
chemical composition of the stars. (also
temperature and direction the star is
moving in relation to the Earth.)

How? Set up a spectroscope with

different tubes; each gas has different
spectras – light patterns.
Stars seem to twinkle, Do
you see them twinkle?
Light from the distant stars travels
through various layers of the
atmosphere with different densities.
The layers closest to the Earth are
denser than those in the upper layers
because they contain dust and other
particles.
Stars seem to twinkle, Do
you see them twinkle?

When light travels through a

medium with varying
densities, it bends. For this
reason, stars are seen to flick
or twinkle.
 Checking
Understanding
 Questions
1. How is the color of a star related to its
temperature?
The color of a star depends on its
temperature, from red and orange (cool stars)
to yellow and white (hotter stars) to blue (very
hot stars).
2. Explain why a cooler star could actually
appear brighter than a hotter star.
A cool star, such as a red giant, could be either
closer to us or much larger than a hotter
star, such as a white dwarf. (Could be closer
 Questions
3. How do distances of stars are expressed?
Distance of stars are expressed in
lightyears
4. What classification of color does Sun
belong?
Yellow-dwarf
5. Why do we see sun as brighter?
Because it is nearer
Thank you!!!