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COURSE 251- NOTES FOR FIRST LECTURE ON ASTROPHYSICS

(from various sources including wikipedia)

1. Equatorial coordinates

2. Galactic coordinates

galactic latitude b

(0,0)

galactic longitude l

3. Basic stellar parameters

Direction or co-ordinates
Energy flux L/4d2
Distance d
Luminosity L
Colour index
Distance modulus
Temperature

4. Stellar distances

Right Acension RA, declination

Apparent magnitude
m = -2.5log10(L/4d2) + constant
light years or parsecs (1 ly = 3.26 pc)
Absolute Magnitude
M = -2.5log10(L/410pc2) + constant
B V = mB mV = -2.5log10(Lblue/Lvisual)
m-M = -2.5log10(10pc2/d2)
From colour

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5. Famous stars
Constellation

Name

Type

Bright stars
mV

distance

Eri
UMi
Pir
Tau
Ori
Aur
Ori
Tau

Sun
Achenar
Polaris
Mirfak
Aldebaran
Rigel
Capella
Bellatrix
Elnath

G2 V
B3 V
F8 I
F5 I
K5 III
B8 I
G8 III
B2 III
B7 III

-26.74
0.51
1.99
0.86
0.86
0.14
0.05
1.64
1.65

1 AU
36 pc
208 pc
175 pc
21 pc
276 pc
14 pc
144 pc
92 pc

RA
hr min
1 37.0
2 12.5
3 22.9
4 34.8
5 13.6
5 15.2
5 24.0
5 25.0

Nearby stars
mV
Distance
-26.74
1 AU
-0.1
1.3 pc
1.40
1.3 pc
-1.47
2.7 pc
0.37
3.5 pc
0.04
8 pc
1.15
7 pc
0.77
5 pc

RA
14.38.4
14.38.4
6 44.2
7 38.2
18 36.2
22 56.5
19 49.8

Con
Cen
Cen
CMa
CMi
Lyr
PsA
Aql

Name
Sun
Cen A
Cen B
Sirius
Procyon
Vega
Foralhaut
Altair

Type
G2 V
G2 V
K4 V
A1 V
F5 V
A0 V
A3 V
A7 IV-V

6. Colour-Magnitude (Hertzsprung-Russell) diagram

Dec
deg min
-57 20
+89 11
+49 47
+16 28
-08 13
+45 59
+6 20
+28 36

Dec
-60 46
-60 46
-16 42
+5 17
+38 46
-29 44
+8 49

7. Stellar evolution and stellar ages

8. Main sequence stars

Class
O
B
A
F
G
K
M

33,000 K
10,000
33,000 K
7,500
10,000 K
6,000
7,500 K
5,200
6,000 K
3,700
5,200 K

blue
blue to blue
white

16

6.6

Luminosity
H
(bolometric
lines
solar
luminosity)
30,000
Weak

2.116

1.86.6

2530,000

Medium

0.13%

white

1.42.1

1.41.8

525

Strong

0.6%

yellowish white 1.041.4

1.151.4

1.55

Medium

3%

yellow

0.81.04

0.961.15

0.61.5

Weak

7.6%

orange

0.450.8

0.70.96

0.080.6

3,700 K

red

0.45

0.7

0.08

Temp

Color

Mass
(solar
masses)

Radius
(solar
radii)

Very
weak
Very
weak

Fraction of
all main
sequence
stars
~0.00003%

12.1%
76.45%

NOTE: The spectral classes O through M are subdivided by numerals 0 to 9. For

example, A0 denotes the hottest stars in the A class and A9 denotes the coolest ones.
The Sun is classified as G2.
9. Stellar Spectra

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Spectrum of a K5V star:-

10. Stellar temperature

Colour B-V
-.35
-.16
+.13
+.42
+.70
+1.18
+1.63

Temperature K
40,000
15,500
9,900
6,580
5,520
4,130
2,800

Type
O
B
A
F
G
K
M

Sub-type
O0O9
B0B9
A0A9
F0F9
G0G9
K0K9
M0M9

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11. Stellar masses and sizes from binaries

12. Stellar radii from luminosity

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13. Stellar composition from spectra

14. Type I, II and III stars

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15. External galaxies

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16. Extra-solar planets