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There are several ways that Stars get classified.

The first is by spectrum, this was used early on in astronomy as astronomers did not have the equipment we have today. Basically they measure the visual spectrum of light that the stars give off to Earth.

The second method is using the letter system O B A F G K M. O being the hottest and M the coolest. O class stars contain helium, B class stars have hydrogen and helium, A class stars hydrogen and ionized metals, F class Stars hydrogen, ionized calcium, and iron, G class Stars (like our sun) calcium and ionized metals, k class stars neutral metals and sodium and M class Stars sodium and titanium oxide.

The third method is by is by temperature. They measure the heat it gives off and the amount that is absorbed by the materials around the star these are called absorption lines. This helps to determine what letter to give a Star.

The fourth is by colour. The the visual colour the star appears in the sky is not enough to just say its red or blue so they other measurements like infrared and other kinds of invisible light spectrum's.

And finally the elements that surround a star also differentiates what light is reflected back to earth. You combine all these methods together and you get how stars a classified.

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14y ago

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