Colour star versus temperature

In summary: Prague.In summary,There is a wide range of surface temperatures that produce a light that can be called "white" and the difference between them can often only be spotted when they are compared side by side. This wiki link shows how the Colour of a hot object relates to its temperature. The picture is only illustrative, of course but shows how Arctur (at 4300K) looks orange, relative to a hotter star at say, 6000K. See Planck's Law. The spectral curves for a black body will peak at different wavelengths, depending on the temperature (Google Colour Temperature)
  • #1
bruha
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Hello I am interested about correlation between star surface temperature and its visioned colour ,for example orange red Arctur has surf temperature cca 4300 K ..but comparing to for example hot piece of metal? its temperature 2000 K respond white colour. ? What is a matter of this disagreemet?
Thank you very much. best regards T.Bruha
 
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  • #2
hi there
welcome to PF :smile:

bruha said:
Hello I am interested about correlation between star surface temperature and its visioned colour

you have labelled you thread with the intermediate tag indicating a higher education
what research have you done so far to answer this question ?

ohhh btw ... this should have been in the astronomy forum ... I will ask for it to be movedDave
 
  • #3
There is a wide range of surface temperatures that produce a light that can be called "white" and the difference between them can often only be spotted when they are compared side by side. This wiki link shows how the Colour of a hot object relates to its temperature. The picture is only illustrative, of course but shows how Arctur (at 4300K) looks orange, relative to a hotter star at say, 6000K. See Planck's Law. The spectral curves for a black body will peak at different wavelengths, depending on the temperature (Google Colour Temperature) A very hot piece of metal can look white, when it's only a bit hotter than 'Red Hot'; that's a subjective thing.
 
  • #4
Thank you very much for answer ,I will check links.
Best regards T.Bruh
 
  • #5
Visible (perceived) color depends on intensity as well as frequency, so you won't be able to put temperature and color in 1:1 correspondence.
 
  • #6
Hello thanks for answer
(I though something as this. I was hyphothesised if there could not be redshift effect but probably not...) hi T.Bruha
 
  • #7
bruha said:
if there could not be redshift effect
I have a feeling that you are referring to appearance with the unaided eye(?).
Red shift is very slight and undetectable by the eye for sources that are actually visible unaided. I think that sources which display significant red shift would be too faint to see with optical viewing, even with a large telescope) and astrophotography would be needed to detect them - and measure the red shift.
 
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Likes davenn
  • #8
bruha said:
Hello I am interested about correlation between star surface temperature and its visioned colour ,for example orange red Arctur has surf temperature cca 4300 K ..but comparing to for example hot piece of metal? its temperature 2000 K respond white colour. ? What is a matter of this disagreemet?
Thank you very much. best regards T.Bruha

Molten iron:

?u=http%3A%2F%2Frapidfreak15.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F02%2Fmolten-iron.jpg
220px-Melted_raw-iron.jpg

Optical image of the star Arcturus:
275px-Arcturus_%28optical%29.png
Speaking of "white hot iron" and "red giant stars" makes sense when you compare them with similar objects. For instance a red hot iron and a blue star like Rigel:

stock-photo-brushed-steel-pot-on-red-hot-electric-stove-59996290.jpg
260px-Treasures3.jpg

..
 
  • #9
Thank you very much for answer. so I understandt, that it is relative ,probably depends, on perceived intesity of radiation ( and therefore distance as well ).
Can I have still one question concerning gravitational redshift unit-beacouse in lot of articel I find as used unit m/s: so it is correct that redshift (%)= redshift (m/s)/300*10exp4? - derivating from light seconde distance?
thank you and best regards, Tomas Bruha
 
  • #10
bruha said:
Thank you very much for answer. so I understandt, that it is relative ,probably depends, on perceived intesity of radiation ( and therefore distance as well ).
Can I have still one question concerning gravitational redshift unit-beacouse in lot of articel I find as used unit m/s: so it is correct that redshift (%)= redshift (m/s)/300*10exp4? - derivating from light seconde distance?
thank you and best regards, Tomas Bruha

Can you link the article?
For a doppler redshift
z = v/c
v is the velocity, c is speed of light 3.00 x 108m/s. z is (observed-emitted)/emitted wavelength. 100z is "percent redshift".

bruha said:
... - derivating from light seconde distance?...
Most astronomy measurements of gravitational redshift will be from much more than 1 light second. We measure from Earth and stars are many light years away. Am I miss reading that?
 
  • #11
Hi this is just for fun…(this period is in Prag only observable planet Mars :H:H:H

Have nice time
 

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1. How does the color of a star change with temperature?

The color of a star is directly related to its temperature. As a star's temperature increases, the color shifts from red to orange, yellow, white, and eventually blue. This is because the temperature of a star affects the type of light it emits, with hotter stars emitting bluer light and cooler stars emitting redder light.

2. Why do hotter stars appear bluer and cooler stars appear redder?

This is due to a phenomenon called blackbody radiation. As an object's temperature increases, it emits more energy in the form of light, and the wavelength of that light gets shorter. Hotter stars emit more high-energy, shorter-wavelength light, which appears blue to our eyes. Cooler stars emit more low-energy, longer-wavelength light, which appears red to our eyes.

3. Is there a correlation between a star's temperature and its brightness?

Yes, there is a strong correlation between a star's temperature and its brightness. Hotter stars are generally brighter than cooler stars, as they emit more energy in the form of light. This is why the hottest stars in the universe often appear as bright blue stars, while the coolest stars appear as dimmer red stars.

4. Can the color of a star change over time?

Yes, the color of a star can change over time. This is known as stellar evolution, and it occurs as a star goes through different stages of its life cycle. For example, as a star runs out of hydrogen fuel and expands into a red giant, its temperature decreases and it appears redder. On the other hand, as a star explodes into a supernova, its temperature increases dramatically and it may briefly appear as a blue star before fading away.

5. How do scientists measure the temperature of a star?

Scientists use a variety of techniques to measure the temperature of a star. One common method is to analyze the spectrum of light emitted by the star. Each element in a star's atmosphere absorbs and emits light at specific wavelengths, which can be used to determine the temperature of the star. Additionally, the color and brightness of a star can also provide clues about its temperature.

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