Universe Today
Astronomers classify the stars out there into groups based on the color of the star and the presence of certain elements in the star's atmosphere. The classifications are:
O, B, A, F, G, K, M
(just remember this handy mnemonic , "Oh be a fine girl, kiss me".)
F
stars are still hotter than the Sun, appearing white to our eyes.
F
stars have a surface temperature of 6,000 Kelvin to 7,200 Kelvin. You can also recognize an
F
star by the presence of Calcium in their spectral signature, as well as neutral metals like Iron and Chromium.
F
stars represent 3.1% of all stars.
Some familiar
F
stars include Arrakis, Canopus, Procyon.
We have written many articles about stars here on Universe Today. Here's an article about some
strange observations of Procyon
.
If you'd like more information on stars, check out
Hubblesite's News Releases about Stars
, and here's the
stars and galaxies homepage
.
We have recorded several episodes of Astronomy Cast about stars. Here are two that you might find helpful:
Episode 12: Where Do Baby Stars Come From
, and
Episode 13: Where Do Stars Go When they Die
?