Why do stars look like different colors?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Temperature determines star color
Temperature determines star color ✓ — Correct! Stars are blackbody radiators—color reveals temperature. Hot stars (>30,000K) are blue (Rigel), medium stars (~6000K) are yellow (Sun), cool stars (~3000K) are red (Betelgeuse). Wien's law: peak wavelength shifts to shorter (bluer) wavelengths as temperature increases. Star color is a stellar thermometer!
Chemical composition alone — Wrong. Composition affects spectra details, but the primary color (blue/white/yellow/red) is determined by surface temperature.
Age makes stars change color — Wrong. Stars evolve and change temperature/color over time, but at any moment, color indicates current temperature, not age directly.
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