6/1/2023 0 Comments T star chartWhen you look up the night sky on a clear night, it may seem as if most stars are cool, blue stars that would fall under the B, or A class of stars. The system was introduced by William Wilson Morgan and Philip C Keenan in 1943. The Morgan-Keenan (MK) system is used in modern astronomy a classification system to organize stars according to their spectral type and luminosity class. This system is referred to as the Morgan Keenan system. The classification of Stars ( Atlas of the Universe). This diagram shows the typical properties for each type of star. Stars just like our own Sun that burn hydrogen into helium to produce energy. The diagram below shows most of the major types of stars (the majority of stars are main sequence stars). The size and color of a star depend on its age and life-cycle stage. The photo below is of my favorite examples (The Cocoon Nebula), as this deep-sky object is surrounded by countless stars of varying temperatures in the constellation Cygnus.Ĭolorful Stars surrounding the Cocoon Nebula in Cygnus.īeauty aside, there are fascinating underlying reasons why stars have different colors in the night sky. Through astrophotography, I can personally enjoy seeing the many different types of stars in the Universe. You’ll notice that some stars have a warm, orange appearance (such as Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion), and others have a cool, white appearance (like Vega in the constellation Lyra). The video below presents a helpful overview of the types of stars in the Universe.Īlthough there are scientific reasons why stars are different colors and sizes, everyone can enjoy this reality by simply looking up at the night sky. O and B are uncommon, very hot and bright. In order of decreasing temperature, O, B, A, F, G, K, and M. Along with their brightness (apparent magnitude), the spectral class of a star can tell astronomers a lot about it. Stars are also classified by their spectra (the elements that they absorb). They can be categorized according to their mass, and temperature. There are many different types of stars in the Universe, from Protostars to Red Supergiants.
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