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You are here: Home / Space / How Do Astronomers Identify a Main Sequence Star Using the Hertzsprung Russell Diagram?

How Do Astronomers Identify a Main Sequence Star Using the Hertzsprung Russell Diagram?

March 3, 2020 by Karen Hill

A star’s age or maturity is marked by its location on the main sequence of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.

Where it first appears on the main sequence, however, depends on its mass.

A star with greater mass will be hotter, take less time to mature, and will appear on the upper part of the diagram.

A star with less mass will be cooler, take longer to show up, and will appear lower down on the main sequence.

It took the Sun about 30 million years to age from a protostar to a main sequence star. The average temperature of the Sun is approximately 6,000°K (10,000°F/ 6,000°C).

A star three times the size of the Sun will mature in about 1 million years, and will be more than twice as hot.

A star about one-tenth the mass of the Sun will take about 100 million years to appear on the main sequence and will be half as hot as the Sun.

Related Facts

  • What Is the Hertzsprung Russell Diagram of Stars and How Does It Help Astronomers Determine the Age of a Star?
  • When Do Stars Leave the Main Sequence and Become White Dwarfs or Red Giants?
  • What Is Right Ascension and How Do Astronomers Determine a Star's Right Ascension Using the Celestial Equator?
  • How Is a Star's Declination Determined and How Do Astronomers Use Declination To Locate a Star In the Sky?
  • Where Is the North Star, What Is the Name of the North Star, and Will the North Star Always Be the Polestar?
  • What Is a Neutron Star, How Is a Neutron Star Created, and What Is the Mass of a Neutron Star?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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