Stars of various types live in outer space, which differ from each other in their structure, in the strength of radiation, in the color that they create around themselves, as well as in a number of other signs. Based on this, separate characteristics were compiled for each type of heavenly bodies. Fortunately, there were not too many of them, and all of them can fit in our article. Therefore, below we will consider how to identify the difference of stars by color, what does this mean and how it affects the environment.
What is a star?
In fact, any star is a huge ball of red-hot plasma. Its composition includes such components as hydrogen and helium, which, in contact with each other, form enormous flows of heat and light. After the state of these two components around the star is normalized, planets begin to surround it. They are formed from cosmic stones, from asteroids, comets, or for other, more complex reasons. But here it is worth noting that it is the difference in stars in color that gives us the opportunity to understand whether planets can form around a particular celestial body. As a rule, such satellites appear around stars with an average luminosity and heat transfer. So about what color stars are characterized by certain features, we will talk below.
O-class celestial bodies
Such space objects are considered one of the brightest in the universe. Blue stars are the largest in their radius, mass and luminosity. They got their name due to the fact that they emit such a bluish tint that is visible at great distances, even by cosmic standards. There is a chemical explanation for this - in this plasma ball, elements such as helium, nitrogen, carbon and others are very strongly ionized, as a result of which an ultraviolet glow occurs. Blue stars, in spite of their power and gigantic size, live very little. On average, their existence lasts for 1 million years, after which the star explodes. Near such heavenly bodies of the planet, theoretically suitable for life, are formed extremely rarely. A striking representative of this type is the star Garnib.
A little less light - category "B"
Now we will consider the category of white-blue cosmic bodies, which are slightly behind their predecessors in all respects. Since the name and color of stars in astronomy always coincide, we will not describe their appearance. The cosmic body acquires a characteristic tint due to the fact that hydrogen is ionized in the plasma, while helium reaches an almost neutral state. It is the last element that creates around them a white shell, which is most often presented in the form of stripes. Such luminaries live for 10-15 million years, and the likelihood that planets suitable for living around them can form around them is very high. You can find a blue and white star in the sky in the constellation Virgo. They are called Spica.
Category A Stars
White stars are one of the most popular in space. The intensity of the glow is great, but at the same time, huge fluxes of radiation and other radiation do not interfere with other comic bodies that are located around them, leading a normal life. Space objects that fall into this category have an exclusively white color due to the fact that in them hydrogen reaches the most neutral state. This turns it, in synthesis with other components, into a snow-white mass, which emits an uncountable amount of kelvin, turning into heat and light. White stars are also called "striped", since it is hydrogen that appears on their surface in the form of stripes. The life of such a star ranges from 400 million to 2 billion years. Similar celestial bodies are found in the constellations of Canis Majorus (Sirius), as well as Lyra (Vega).
Group of stars under the code "F"
The fact that the name and color of the stars always coincide, we are obliged to the chemical processes that occur there. Therefore, now we consider cosmic plasma giants, which are included in the category of "white-yellow" and have a characteristic glow. Hydrogen in such celestial bodies is no longer contained in that huge quantity, as in the above cases. Here, on the contrary, other metals prevail - iron, titanium, as well as calcium. They are ionized, giving the melting plasma a slightly yellowish tint. Since the star is not too large in size, this color is her salvation. It can be seen for billions of light years, because astronomers can see such space objects in their telescopes, even if they are very far from Earth. Such stars have been living for 4 billion years or more, and often gather around themselves parades of planets where life can arise. Representatives of this group are the luminaries of Portion and Ropagi.
A star named the Sun ... consider the class "G"
The next stars on our list are yellow stars , the brightest representative for us of which is the Sun. Such cosmic bodies are filled with various metals, the main place among which is calcium. They are very strongly ionized, as a result of which it acquires a rich yellow tint. Other heavy metals, which also melt under huge temperatures, give it more intensity. The hydrogen strips here are already completely invisible, and even this substance itself is contained in yellow stars in very small quantities. The longevity of such luminaries is approximately 10 billion years. This allows you to not only gather around you a certain number of planets, but also to keep them in their orbits for a fairly long (by cosmic standards) time period. For an example, take a look at our Solar System.
Category of stars "K"
Since the distinction of stars in color is officially recognized by the astronomical system around the world, we move on to the penultimate category, which is called "orange". In the composition of these celestial bodies, hydrogen is already contained in a very small state, so it does not show much. White lines to the surface practically do not appear, but the results of melting of the other metals that make up the star are very noticeable. There is aluminum, and titanium, and iron, and most importantly - calcium. At the same time, the melting point of all these elements is not too high here. Because of this, the lilac trail that can be seen behind the brighter stars (categories O, A, etc.) is completely absent here. However, despite the low temperature and small size, orange stars can collect small planetary systems around them. Life is not always born on them, but they exist until the orange “sun” itself disappears from space. His life is measured in 60 billion years. Representative stars in this category are Yavin, Aldebaran, and Arcturus.
The smallest stars - group "M"
Red stars are characterized by very cold temperatures and weakened metal melting processes. They also have very small parameters, in comparison with their giant counterparts, small mass and radiation power. The reddish glow around the star is no longer created due to the fact that various metals are melted here, but because the degree of their oxidation reaches its maximum, and the molecules simply absorb each other. Around such red dwarfs very rarely formed habitable planets. Betelgeuse is the brightest representative of this category, whose age is estimated at tens of trillions of years.
Atypical heavenly bodies
We have just examined how stars are distinguished by color, but we have not mentioned the existence of certain anomalous categories of such celestial bodies. Well, actually in space there are stars of category "C". This can be said the synthesis of orange and red stars, which contains the maximum number of different metals. The main feature of the category is that there are atoms that absorb carbohydrate and hydrogen, which makes the star even colder and fainter. Much more abnormal is a class "S" star. It is very similar to orange, but instead of a large amount of titanium, it contains the same amount of zirconium.
Conclusion
As it turned out, it is precisely their appearance that can tell us what color the stars are and how to classify them. The glow and its shade are created thanks to the materials that melt there and form certain mixtures. They stand out at a specific degree, spreading into space not only light, but also heat, which can heat or burn all nearby objects.