* Blue Stars: The hottest stars, with surface temperatures above 25,000 Kelvin.
* White Stars: Very hot stars, with temperatures between 10,000 and 25,000 Kelvin.
* Yellow Stars: Stars like our Sun, with temperatures between 5,000 and 10,000 Kelvin.
* Orange Stars: Cooler stars, with temperatures between 3,500 and 5,000 Kelvin.
* Red Stars: The coolest stars, with temperatures below 3,500 Kelvin.
Why does color relate to temperature?
Stars emit light across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, but they peak at a specific wavelength. This peak wavelength is directly related to the star's surface temperature:
* Hotter stars: Peak at shorter wavelengths, which appear bluer.
* Cooler stars: Peak at longer wavelengths, which appear redder.
Beyond temperature:
While color is primarily linked to temperature, it can also provide some clues about other star properties:
* Luminosity: Generally, hotter stars are more luminous (brighter).
* Mass: Hotter stars tend to be more massive.
* Age: Stars evolve over time. As they age, they cool down, and their color can shift towards redder hues.
Note: It's important to remember that the human eye perceives color differently than scientific instruments. We might see a star as white, while a spectrometer might reveal it as blue-white, indicating its true temperature.
