Summary
Classifies stars by color, temperature, and size — from red dwarfs to blue supergiants — and shows that our sun is a perfectly average, middle-of-the-road yellow dwarf, which is actually a great thing for life.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- What does the color of a star tell us about it?
- Is our sun unusual among stars? Why is its 'average' nature actually beneficial for life on Earth?
- What is the biggest type of star? How does it compare to our sun?
- What eventually happens to stars like our sun?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: star classification, dwarf, giant, supergiant, temperature, color, spectrum.
Try it: Create a star color chart showing the color-temperature relationship: blue (hottest), white, yellow, orange, red (coolest). Place five real stars (Sirius, our sun, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Proxima Centauri) on the chart.