Explain how the classification of stars using the Hertzsprung Russell (H-R) Diagrams has simplified the classification of stars by organizing the Temperature and Luminosity is a different manner than was previously done. You were also exposed to the fact that our SUN turns out to be a very useful and serves as the reference value for Luminosity which is the amount of energy that a star produces. You also learned that our star, the SUN, is just a common everyday star in the heavens and that there are stars which are much bigger and smaller out there. 1. In a 2-3 Page report please apply what you know by looking at the night sky. Try to find some of the stars mentioned in your textbook and use the information provided in the Appendix I – Star Charts, Pages A-21 to 25 where Star Charts are provided for 4 different periods of the year. Discuss, your star search and determine what Chart corresponds to the Semester for this class. If you were able to locate some of the stars identified in these charts, you may relate these stars to your HR Diagram Assignment. For example, find SIRUS, the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere and almost visible year around. If you were able to locate the Orion Constellation, you may be able to identify Betelgeuse and Rigel, the brightest stars in this Constellation. If you were able take a careful look at Rigel and Betelgeuse, you can actually detect a difference in color. This difference in color and their location in an H-R Diagram would indeed by interesting, since most people do not know that stars appear in different colors to the human eye.
