What is the Hottest Star?
Stars are classified by temperature is a table like this:
| Star Types | |
| Type | Temperature Range (in K) |
| O | 100,000-30,000 |
| B | 25,000-12,000 |
| A | 11,000-8,000 |
| F | 7,800-6,200 |
| G | 6,000-4,600 |
| K | 4,900-3,350 |
| M | 3,400-2,600 |
| R* | 4,500-2,000 |
| N* | 4,500-2,000 |
| S | less than 2,000 |
The temperature is measured in Kelvin scale (centigrade scale, using absolute zero as the base temperature). The letters for the types of stars are rearranged from an earlier scale to suit later knowledge.
Stars of the O class, such as Betelgeuse, Rigel, Deneb, and Antares, are called supergiants and these are the hottest stars. They are enormous clouds of gas. Force of gravity is contracting them, and this provides radiant energy enough to make these stars the brightest of all. Our Sun is a class "G" star.
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia
Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Compton's NewMedia, Inc.
ˆStars are classified by temperature is a table like this:
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