Classification of Stars
Classification of Stars
Teacher: Score:
INTRODUCTION:
Stars are classified based on their luminosity, color, temperature, and size. While the
temperature of the star is related to its color, the apparent brightness varies with distance from
Earth. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Danish astronomer Ejnar Hertzsprung and U.S.
astronomer Henry Norris Russell visualized the relationships between the different temperatures
and sizes of stars. This graph has been named the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R).
The Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram plots the relationship between different star
characteristics, such as mass, color, luminosity, and temperature. The purpose of this activity is
to become familiar with the characteristics of stars, and how they relate to each other.
Medium
Stars
Spica
Procyon B
Betelgeuse
Polaris
Proxima
Centauri
40 Eridani B
Sirius
Rigel
Aldebaran
1. What are the four characteristics in which stars are classified on the H-R diagram?
2. Which characteristic always increases with increasing mass? ___________________
3. Which characteristic is directly associated with surface temperature? _____________
4. What are star groups that relate to a star’s life cycle?
5. How are Polaris and the Sun similar? How are they different?
Small
Medium
Massive
7. Our Sun is halfway through its lifecycle. Explain which stages it will evolve into during
the last half of its life.