Here's the breakdown:
* Largest stars: These are typically red supergiants and are coolest, with surface temperatures around 3,500 K. Their red color is due to the peak of their light emission being in the longer wavelength, red portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
* Smallest stars: These are often red dwarfs, the most common type of star in the Milky Way. They are also coolest, with surface temperatures around 2,500-3,500 K, hence their red color.
* Hottest stars: These are blue giants and blue supergiants, with surface temperatures of 10,000 K or more. They emit more blue light because their peak emission is in the shorter wavelength, blue portion of the spectrum.
So, both the largest and the smallest stars tend to be red due to their lower temperatures.
