Quizzes at Fun Trivia Fun Trivia | quizzes Quizzes | games Games | community People | services Services | help Help | me Me
New Player - Log In
Currently 9400 players online.   Trivia games, quizzes, and contests - FREE !     Get Started! quiz register


  • New Questions

  • Unanswered

  • Revisited

  • Your Questions


  • Post a Question
  • Goto Qn #



    110,932 questions asked
    382,692 replies


    Archives

    Why are the stars different colors?

    Question #16852. Asked by brady lover.

    Son of The Household Cavalry

    It is all to do with parentage.

    Sharon Stones parents were caucasian while Eddie Murphy's were not.

    Feb 26 02, 2:26 AM
    Gnomon

    It's mainly to do with their age. Stars burn in different ways are different points in their lifecycle and also depending on how big they are. The hotter they burn, the bluer they are. The cooler ones burn yellow, orangle or even red. While we think of blue and green as cool colours, in stars they are the hot ones.

    Feb 26 02, 3:02 AM
    eliasen

    eliasen says:

    Stars are different colors solely because of their temperatures. It has nothing to do with their ages, although their *surface temperatures* may be different at different times in their life, which is the only reason their color is different. Radiating atoms don't know how 'old' they are.

    The color gradations given above are really weird and wrong. How in the world could white be the coolest? When your stove is white-hot, is that its coolest setting? Can you name one 'green' star?

    A star is a pretty good approximation to a blackbody--its radiation at each wavelength is a well-known function of its temperature. Below, you can plug in surface temperatures to find the peak wavelength (and a rough approximation to the color.)
    http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/wien.html

    Tue May 28 13:59:05 CDT 2002

    The human eye doesn't detect colors of stars well... they're too small (and usually dim) to activate a bunch of cone cells in the eye.
    Stars radiate light all the way across the visual spectrum, making them not distinctly any single color.
    A good way to see the *difference* in colors of stars is to take a long-exposure photograph of them with a camera (preferably attached to a telescope) that's slightly out of focus. You can even allow the stars to drift through your field as you're taking the exposure, and you can move the camera more and more out of focus every couple of minutes. This gives good results and the differences in color are quite visible.

    Wed May 29 01:15:18 CDT 2002
    (As one entry - McG)

    May 25 03, 3:20 PM

    Create a Free FunTrivia ID to add to, request more/new answers, or edit this entry

    Other Similar Questions & Answers


    Why are stars different colors?

    Why are some stars different colors?

    Why are olives different colors? What is the red thing in the middle of green olives?

    What do the different colors on the Welsh flag represent?

    Suggested Related FunTrivia Quizzes - 90,000 currently online

    1 Colors
    This film about the police fighting gangs was one of my favorites of all time. Take the quiz on the opening message.
    Cm - Cq Movies Tough
    10 Q
    kamodomajere
    Nov 11 02
    402 plays
    2 Pokémon Colors
    Guess the colors of the Pokémon. Enjoy.
    Pokemon Games Easy
    10 Q
    Nogard8
    Jun 18 02
    7998 plays
    3 Colors Of The Rainbow
    I will use all the colors of the rainbow as well as ask questions about rainbows in this quiz. Have fun!
    Rainbow Mixture Average
    10 Q
    wizequizgenius
    Apr 27 04
    6615 plays


    "Ask FunTrivia" is for entertainment purposes only, and answers offered are unverified and unchecked by FunTrivia. We cannot guarantee the accuracy or veracity of ANY statement posted. Feel free to post an updated response if you feel that an answer is inadequate or incorrect. Please thoroughly research items where accuracy is important to you using multiple reliable sources. By accessing our website, you agree to be bound by our terms of service.