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Can You Tell the Difference Between Stars by Looking at Their Spectra?

-- Jennifer | October 30, 2020

Artist impression of the collision of two stars

Question:

Hello, are you able to tell one star from another when comparing just their spectral characteristics or do you require other data? I am assuming each star is individual, is that correct?

-- Jennifer

Answer:

We can tell the difference between different types of stars by looking at their spectra. In fact, spectral classification is one of the main ways that we categorize stars into “types”. Normally astronomers also apply a “luminosity class” to a star, which is a measure of its brightness, in order to further define different classes of stars into their spectral and brightness characteristics. Stars can have the same exact spectral type and luminosity class, though, and appear to be identical.

-- Jeff Mangum

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