The colour of a star is an indication of its

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Q: 99 (IAS/1994)
The colour of a star is an indication of its

question_subject: 

Science

question_exam: 

IAS

stats: 

0,104,148,26,72,50,104

keywords: 

{'star': [1, 1, 0, 0], 'colour': [11, 6, 13, 28], 'luminosity': [0, 1, 0, 0], 'sun': [3, 0, 0, 6], 'distance': [0, 3, 3, 3], 'temperature': [0, 1, 1, 7], 'indication': [0, 1, 0, 1]}

The color of a star is primarily an indication of its temperature.

Stars emit electromagnetic radiation across a broad range of wavelengths, including visible light. The temperature of a star affects the distribution of this emitted light, and different temperatures result in different colors.

Hotter stars, such as blue and white stars, have higher surface temperatures, and they emit more energy in shorter wavelengths, including blue and ultraviolet light.

Cooler stars, on the other hand, emit more energy in longer wavelengths, such as red and infrared light. Thus, cooler stars appear redder in color.

By observing the color of a star, astronomers can estimate its temperature and gain insights into its characteristics. However, the color alone does not provide information about the star`s distance from the Sun, its luminosity, or its distance from the Earth.

To determine other properties of a star, such as distance, luminosity, or motion, astronomers use various observational techniques, including parallax, spectral analysis, and other methods specific to the property they are interested in studying.

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