Star Classification Worksheet
ADVERTISEMENT
1Star Classification
The.first.people.to.combine.a.camera.with.a.spectroscope.were.the.father.and.son.team.of.John.and.Henry.Draper.in.the.
1870s..Their.work.was.carried.on.by.Edward.C..Pickering.who,.by.1918,.had.listed.the.spectra.of.over.200000.stars..Using.
details.about.luminosity.and.composition,.stars.are.classified.into.several.common.groups,.or.classes,.depending.on.their.
colour.(spectral.types)..Each.difference.in.colour.is.directly.related.to.the.surface.temperature.of.the.star..The.hottest.stars.
are.blue-white,.with.surface.temperatures.of.greater.than.50.000°C..The.cooler.the.star,.the.more.red.it.appears..
The.Pickering.empirical.classification.has.become.the.accepted.way.to.describe.stars:.
.
•. M.
orange/red.(coolest).
.
•. K.
orange.
.
•. F/G. yellowish.
.
•. A.
white/bluish-white.
.
•. O/B. white.(hottest).
The.temperatures.(and.colours).of.stars.are.a.gradual.progression.and.the.divisions.between.groups.are.arbitrary..To.
remember.the.correct.sequence,.from.hottest.to.coolest.(0.B.A.F.G.K.M),.think.of.the.following.catchphrase:.‘Only.Bold.
And.Fearless.Giants.Kill.Martians’,.Further.subdivisions.rank.these.classes.from.0-9..
Other.schemes.include.stars.described.as.X,.W,.N,.R.and.S,.although.these.are.very.rare.and.represent.only.a.fraction.of.a.
per.cent.of.the.total.number.of.stars.so.far.observed.and.classified..
.
1.. Of.the.stars.that.have.been.classified.by.their.spectra,.B.stars.represent..
.
.
about.3%,.A.stars.are.27%,.Fare.10%,.G.are.16%,.K.are.37%.and.M..
.
.
are.7.%..Draw.a.sector.graph.(pie.chart).to.show.these.figures..
.
2.. Why.weren’t.Type.0.stars.mentioned.in.Question.I?.
.
.
_______________________________________________________________
.
3.. Use.your.knowledge.about.spectral.types.to.match.the.jumbled.surface.temperatures.in.the.box.on..
.
.
the.right.with.the.correct.star.
.
Star
Spectral Type
Temperature (K)
Distance (Light
3.000
Years)
25.000
Sirius
A0
9
6.000
11.000
The.Sun
G2
1
Betelgeuse
M2
520
Spica
B1
220
.
.
4.. What.else.can.we.predict.about.Sirius.from.the.information.above?._____________________________
.
5.. What.else.can.we.predict.about.Betelgeuse.from.the.information.above?.________________________
.
6.. What.else.can.we.predict.about.Spica.from.the.information.above?._____________________________.
Research
.
7.. In.which.constellation.is.Sirius.located?._____________________________________________________
.
8.. In.which.constellation.is.Betelgeuse.located?.________________________________________________
.
9.. In.which.constellation.Spica.located?._______________________________________________________
0
ADVERTISEMENT
0 votes
Related Articles
Related forms
Related Categories
Parent category: Education