HR Diagram Lab
Learning Objective:
To become familiar with one of the most commonly used tools for understanding stars, the HR diagram
Prerequisites: Read Chapter 15
Materials Required
Computer and internet access
Digital camera or scanner
HR Diagram Graph: download and print out, or you may create your own graph but using similar axes
Time Required: approximately 3 hours
Exploration Study and Information
Properties of Stars
The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, or HR Diagram, is a graph in which a star’s temperature is plotted against its absolute magnitude. From such a diagram, other information about a star’s properties and life cycle can be determined. A simplified HR Diagram appears in your textbook and is shown below for reference. Note that this diagram shows the different categories of types of stars, such as the Main Sequence, Giants, etc.. In this laboratory, you will construct an HR Diagram using data on the 20 stars that are nearest to our Sun and the 20 brightest stars in our sky. Then you will use the finished diagram to describe the properties and life cycle of stars. And then you will use a simulation where you will follow the life stages of our Sun on this diagram.
Image 1. H-R Diagram. Bennett, J., Donahue, M., Schneider, N., & Voit, M. (2019). Cosmic Perspective, The (9th ed.). Pearson.
Part 1 – Creating Your Own HR Diagram. HR Diagram Lab
Instructions
You will be using Table 1 and Table 2 to plot the 20 nearest and 20 brightest stars on the attached HR diagram. The following tips will be helpful when graphing stars;
Temperature is on the horizontal axis, absolute magnitude is on the vertical axis,
Absolute magnitude decreases as the values become more positive,
Notice the graph lines used to plot temperature are unevenly spaced and that the number of Kelvins between each line is not constant. Carefully check a star’s temperature and the value of its graph line before plotting each star.
Use a plus sign (+) to graph each of the nearest stars (listed in Table 1) on the diagram.
Use a circled dot (o) to graph each of the brightest stars as seen from Earth (listed in Table 2) on the diagram. Show stars that appear on both tables using a square (). Please sign you name on your graph and include the date. HR Diagram Lab
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What is the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram and what does it show?,
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How do you plot stars (nearest and brightest) on the HR diagram?,
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What do the plotted positions of stars reveal about their properties?,
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How does the HR diagram illustrate the life cycle of stars, including our Sun?,
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Why is the HR diagram an important tool for understanding stellar evolution?
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