Name:________________________________________________ Studying Stars Lab
Objective: Students will be able to explore the relationship between star temperature, color and brightness.
Part I: Recreating the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Materials:
graph paper, color pencils
Procedure:
Use the graph paper and a ruler, create a line graph with your X axis being temperature and your Y axis will
be luminosity (brightness).
Main sequence stars
Star
Temperature
Luminosity
Giant stars(Blue
or Re)
Star
Temperature
Luminosity
Bellatrax
18000
-2.0
Capella
6000
-0.6
Regulus
12000
-0.6
Pollux
4650
0.8
Spica
19500
-2.0
Arcturus
4500
-0.3
Beta Centauri
21000
-3.0
Aldebaran
3900
-0.2
Achernar
16500
-3.0
Beta Tauri
12000
-2.0
Beta Crucis
21000
-4.6
Super Giant (red)
Alpha Crucis
19500
-4.0
Star
Vega
9750
0.5
Rigel
12250
-6.8
Castor
9250
0.9
Deneb
9000
-6.9
Beta Carinae
9750
-0.4
Canopus
7100
-3.1
Sirius A
9250
1.5
Antares
3300
-4.5
Formalhaut
8500
2.0
Betelgeuse
3200
-5.5
Altair
7750
2.2
Procyon A
6500
2.6
White Dwarfs
Alpha Centauri A
5750
4.4
Star
Sun
5750
4.9
Sirius B
8100
11.4
Tau Ceti
4750
5.7
Procyon B
6500
13.1
Epsilon Eridani
4500
6.1
Epsilon Indi
4250
7.0
Cygni A
3800
7.5
Cygni B
3700
8.0
Alpha Centauri B
3900
5.8
Kapteyn's Star
3400
11.2
Lacaille 8760
3200
8.8
Lacaille 21185
3000
10.5
Bernard's Star
2600
13.2
Ross 614A
2500
13.3
Kruger 60B
2500
13.4
Ross 248
2500
14.7
Temperature
Temperature
Luminosity
Luminosity
Analysis and Conclusion Questions:
1. What type of relationship, based on your graph, exists between your two variables of temperature and
luminosity; positive or negative? How do you know?
2. Where is the Sun located on your graph? Based on the Sun’s location, would you classify the Sun as a
normal star or a star with abnormalities. Explain your answer.
3. Based on your observations on the graph, how is size related to temperature? Explain the REASON for
this variation in temperature with size. Use TWO example stars from the graph to support your ideas
as examples.
4. What is the process that occurs in the core of star generates the heat and energy of a star. Describe
this process in detail.
Part II: Diagraming Stellar Evolution
Materials:
colored pencils, circular objects, card stock paper
Procedure:
1. On the card stock paper, create a diagram of the life cycle of a star. Complete the diagram first in
pencil and use circular objects from around the room to demonstrate the size differences between each
phase. Be creative! Be sure to show the cycle for both small stars as well as massive stars.
2. After you have drawn your diagram in pencil, have Ms. Wall check your work.
3. Once your rough draft is corrected, color each phase of the life cycle appropriately.
4. Lastly, using your H-R Diagram, write the name of an example of each phase under the label phase on
your diagram.
Analysis and Conclusion Questions:
1. As star ages, it begins to burn heavier elements such as calcium, carbon and iron. How is this
significant for the formation of planets?
2. Based on the understanding in the above question, how do you BELIEVE our solar system was formed
4.6 billion years ago? Explain your theory in detail.
3. Using all content above, it is stated that “we are all generated from star dust”; is this that true or false?
Explain your response.