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A good example is Plaskett's star, a close binary consisting of two O type giants both over 50 M ☉, temperatures over 30,000 K, and more than 100,000 times the luminosity of the Sun (L ☉). Astronomers still differ over whether to classify at least one of the stars as a supergiant, based on subtle differences in the spectral lines.
The spectral classes O through M, as well as other more specialized classes discussed later, are subdivided by Arabic numerals (0–9), where 0 denotes the hottest stars of a given class. For example, A0 denotes the hottest stars in class A and A9 denotes the coolest ones.
S-type stars are intermediate between carbon stars and normal giants. They can be grouped into two classes: intrinsic S stars, which owe their spectra to convection of fusion products and s-process elements to the surface; and extrinsic S stars, which are formed through mass transfer in a binary system.
A B-type main-sequence star (B V) is a main-sequence (hydrogen-burning) star of spectral type B and luminosity class V. These stars have from 2 to 16 times the mass of the Sun and surface temperatures between 10,000 and 30,000 K. [1] B-type stars are extremely luminous and blue.
A subgiant is a star that is brighter than a normal main-sequence star of the same spectral class, but not as bright as giant stars. The term subgiant is applied both to a particular spectral luminosity class and to a stage in the evolution of a star.
υ Orionis is a main sequence star of spectral type O9.7, although it has sometimes been given the spectral type B0V; Plaskett's star, a massive binary consisting of two O-class stars in orbit around each other and also one of the most massive binaries known.
O class main sequence stars are already highly luminous. The giant phase for such stars is a brief phase of slightly increased size and luminosity before developing a supergiant spectral luminosity class. Type O giants may be more than a hundred thousand times as luminous as the sun, brighter than many supergiants.
In a number of cases, the simultaneous presence of two or more periods of light variation is observed: AF Cyg [1] [2] RR CrB [1] [2] SRc semi-regular variable super-giants of late spectral classes: SRC Spectral-type (M, C, S or Me, Ce, Se) supergiants with amplitudes of about 1 mag and periods of light variation from 30 days to several thousand ...