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How can betelgeuse look sso bright if it is far away and has a cool surface?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Several things to consider:
-- Because of its ENORMOUS size. We believe that Betelgeuse is about as large
as the orbits of the Asteroid Belt. So if Betelgeuse sat exactly where the sun sits,
then Mercury, Venus, the Earth, and Mars would all be inside of it.
-- Because it's so close to us. Betelgeuse is roughly 800 light-years from us. That's
an enormous distance, but actually pretty close as stars go.
-- Because it's so hot. The surface temperature of Betelgeuse is estimated at 3,600 K,
which is roughly 3,325° Celsius and 5,960° Fahrenheit. That's pretty cool for a star,
but you still wouldn't want to touch it.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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What type of stars has low temperature but high luminosity?
The red giants like Betelgeuse and Antares are bright and - relatively - cool.
What type of stars has high temperature but high luminosity?
The red giants like Betelgeuse and Antares are bright and - relatively - cool.
What type of stars low temperature but high luminosity?
The red giants like Betelgeuse and Antares are bright and - relatively - cool.
Betelgeuse is the brightest star in the constellation Orion However Betelgeuse is a cool red star that is 520 light years from Earth How can Betelgeuse look so bright if it is that far away?
It isn't the brightest star - at least, usually Rigel is brighter. However, Betelgeuse is variable, and can sometimes be brighter than Rigel. Wikipedia lists its luminosity as 105,000 times the luminosity of our Sun; and the distance, as 640 light years. Assuming these numbers, this would make it as bright as a star that is 10.5 times as bright as our Sun, at a distance of only 6.4 light years. In other words, the extreme luminosity compensates for its distance.
Why is Betelgeuse cool but gives off massive amounts of light?
When talking about stars, "cool" is a relative term. Betelgeuse has a variable surface temperature of 5,200 to 6,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Such a temperature may seem extremely hot to us and is easily hot enough to emit bright light but it is fairly cool as stars go. The comparatively low temperature of Betelgeuse means that it gives off less light per square meter than a hotter star would, but it makes up for it with its massive size, more than 900 times the diameter of the sun. As massive size means a large surface are and thus a huge output of light.
What stars are cool and bright stars?
To be bright you need to be hot, close or have a large surface area. The brightest coolest stars are red super giants. They have such a large surface area, that even though their surface temperature is cool - in star terms - their large surface area makes them appear bright.
Is Betelgeuse a hot or cool star?
It is a cool star.
Is Betelgeuse hot or cold?
Betelgeuse is a red giant star and comparatively cool.
What does the red color of Betelgeuse mean?
The red colour means that it's surface temperature is cool < 3,700K. At that temperature, the spectrum of light is red.
Why do cool stars have greater luminosity than our sun?
They do not necessarily have greater luminosity, it depends on their size. Betelgeuse is cooler and brighter; a red dwarf is cooler and less bright.
What is a very big cool star?
Betelgeuse is a large cool star
What are bright cool stars?
To be bright you need to be hot, close or have a large surface area. The brightest coolest stars are red super giants. They have such a large surface area, that even though their surface temperature is cool - in star terms - their large surface area makes them appear bright.
