Star Variety

Stars vary greatly in how much light they give off. Our sun looks bright only because it is so close. Some stars give off thousands of times more light than the sun. Other stars give off much less light.

Stars also give off different colors of light. Our sun gives off mostly yellow light. Some stars give off mostly red light. Others give off mostly white or blue light.

The surface temperature of stars varies, too. The surface temperature of our sun is about 5,500°C (10,000°F). Some stars are much hotter. Others are only half as hot. Usually, the hotter a star is, the brighter it is. This isn’t always true, though.

Also, stars vary in size. Dwarf stars are small compared to other stars. Giant stars are very large. The sun is a smaller star.

Comparing Stars

Brighter

Dimmer

Young blue giant

White star

Sun

Red dwarf

Interpret the Chart Which is hotter, a young blue giant star or a red dwarf star?