Help with understanding star classification?

Question

I am an amateur astronomer, and I like to peruse the night skies zooming in on random stars, and try to identify them. However, I have noticed that some stars are listed as being anything from a G-star, to a K-star, to an M-star depending upon the catalog source.

For example, I noticed that 41 Arae (Gliese 666) and Kuiper 79 (Gliese 661) are sometimes labeled as G-stars, commonly as K-stars, and also sometimes as M-stars. Now I know the difference of how a star is classified and such, whether main sequence and such, but why is there such a variance with these stars, and a number of others?

I thought if 41 Arae is a G-star, I might be able to see it in my telescope as they are easier to find (constellation Ara peaks just above my horizon for a few hours for a few nights of the year, making it a fun challenge). If its an M-star or K-star, then horizon haze will be too much for it.

Paula · Answer

So evidently you know something about the star classification system.

If you are interested then this article gives a good overview :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_classification

But really, for viewing, it is only the apparent magnitude that matters.

And note : " Although most class-M stars are red dwarfs, the class also hosts most giants and some supergiants such as Antares and Betelgeuse, as well as Mira variables. "
--- which is a quote from the above article --- so some M-type stars are easy to see.

snachez · Answer

The referenced internet site is an interesting example of star classification. It shows, for quite a lot of noted stars, what that megastar would look like from its 'lifestyles zone', a zone in which a planet's atmospheric temperature would no longer kill earthlike lifestyles.

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Help with understanding star classification?

2 Answers