Star Classes

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Star Classes Index

A selection of star types. Sol, around which Terra orbits, is a class G star as are many stars in systems with class M planets.

Binary

A Binary star sytem is two stars formed at the same time and orbiting around a point mid-way between them. Many star systems are binary systems.

Dwarf

There are four types of 'dwarf' stars:

Black Dwarf

Black Dwarf is a star that has burnt out and collapsed. It emits no radiation and can be smaller than a planet.

Brown Dwarf

Brown Dwarf is a star that hasn't quite initiated nuclear reactions within it. Can also be classed as a planet: A, T or S class.

Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf is a star that is small, dim and long lived. Most stars in a typical galaxy are Red Dwarfs.

White Dwarf

White Dwarf is a star that is similar in size to a gas super/ultra-giant size planet and occasionally initiates nuclear reactions within it. Sometimes these stars 'regenerate' in to more normal stars.

Lazurus

A lazurus is a star that has gone supernova, then forms another star and goes supernova again.

Neutron

A star that has completed burning and then often explodes leaving the remnants of the core. Typically spectral type B or O.

Nova

A star quickly becomes extremely bright, thousands of times its normal brightness. For additional information see Supernova below.

Population

Population stars can be classed as follows:

Population I

Population I stars are the bright blue stars, mainly young stars, in the disk or spiral arm of a galaxy.

Population II

Population II stars are red older stars than are found in the central bulge of galaxies.

Other Population types

Other population types describe various much more specific types of stars.

Additional Information

see Galaxy Structure

Red Giant

When the main hydrogen in the star is exhausted the star can collapse in and then the very central core hydrogen is rapidly burnt. The star then expands large amounts, sometimes engulfing orbiting planets.

Run Away

tar with significantly different velocities to nearby stars.

Spectral

Normal stars, classed as either O, B, A, F, G, K or M. Each class has different properties:


Spectral classes
Class Colour Temp(K) Mass(Solar Masses) Radius(Solar Radii) Luminosity(sol)
O violet-white 30k to 50k 10 to 30 2.5 to 3 1k to 100k
B blue-white 10k to 30k 3 to 5 2 to 3.5 100 to 1k
A white 7.5k to 10k 2 to 3 1.5 to 2 50 to 100
F yellow-white 6k to 7.5k 1 to 2 1 to 1.5 1 to 50
G yellow 4.5k to 6k .8 to 1 .8 to 1 0.1 to 1
K orange 3.5k to 4.5k .5 to .8 .5 to .8 .01 to .1
M red 2k to 3.5k .02 to .5 .01 to .5 .00001 to .01

Supernova

When a star effectively explodes, often forming an expanding nebula. There is little trace of the star left over. For additional information see Nova above.

T Tauri

T Tauri are undeveloped stars and will become stars. They are the beginnings of stars.

Variables

A variable star's brightness, or luminosity, changes over long periods of time due to the star expanding and contracting.

Blue Variables

Blue Variables are large unstable stars with short life spans.

Cepheid Variables

Cepheid Varaibles are variables with a more rapid variation in luminosity, often used to calculate distances.



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