What is the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (H-R Diagram) was developed by Ejnar Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell in 1900s to study the stellar evolution. The diagram shows the absolute magnitudes or luminosities versus their stellar classifications or effective temperatures, in other words, it shows the stars brightness against its temperature. This diagram suggested that the stars collapse.

The stars were initially red giants, then they would collapse into dwarf stars and then move along the main sequence line during its life. This does not predict the changes that can occur in a star but can show us the possibility of the what the star can become. It also gives us information about the stars temperature, magnetic field and motion through space.

Most astronomers are keen on looking at the how the temperature of the star affects it magnitude of brightness. The size of the star is proportional to the temperature of the star. This the hottest or the brightest stars are plotted in the giants and the supergiants area of the H-R Diagram.

When you begin to become interested in the solar system, you will come across some new terms like the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram. This is known to be a type of graphical tool that astronomers use so that they can choose and classify stars effectively. There are stars that are categorized based on a wide variety of factors. For example, there are some that are classified because of their color.

There are also some that are categorized depending on their temperature. The diagram can be very effective in helping astronomers do the categorization properly. There are different sections of the diagram that will determine the type of classification that will be given to a certain star.