Characteristics of Stars

1. By Kara MacDevitt
International High School at Lafayette
CHARACTERISTICS OF STARS

2. A STAR
• Stars are hot, glowing balls of gas.
• They are made of the gases hydrogen (H) and helium
(He).
• Astronomers classify stars based on their age, color,
and brightness. These characteristics help them
identify and understand the different kinds of stars.

3. LUMINOSITY
• Also known as Magnitude or brightness.
• Depends on size and temperature.
• This is how much light a star gives off.
• Stars can be bright (1,000,000) or dim (0.0001)
• Bright Dim

4. TEMPERATURE
• The temperature of a star – hot (30,000 degrees K) or
cool (3,000 degrees K)
• Temperature determines color of a star
(hot – blue and cool – red)

5. SIZE
• Stars all look the same size, but they are not.
SIZES of STARS:
• Small, medium or LARGE
• dwarf, medium,Giant or SUPER GIANT

6. COLOR & SPECTRAL CLASS
• Spectral class is a letter that is determined by the
temperature and color of a star.
• 7 Colors
• 7 Spectral Classes

7. TYPES
• Star types are determined by luminosity and
temperature.
Types:
Super Giants
Giants
Main Sequence
Dwarfs