Astronomy: General

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red dwarf

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Copyright

red dwarf A cool, faint, low-mass star lying at the lower end of the main sequence. Red dwarfs have masses and diameters less than half those of the Sun. They are red because of their low surface temperatures, less than 4000 K, and are of spectral type K or M. Red dwarfs are the most common type of star, and also the longest-lived, with potential lifetimes greater than the current age of the Universe. Because of their low luminosity, no more than 10% of the Sun's, they are inconspicuous. Barnard's Star and Proxima Centauri are nearby examples. Many red dwarfs are flare stars.

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red dwarf

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

red dwarf Star at the lower end of the main sequence. Red dwarfs have masses of between 0.8 and 0.08 of a solar mass. They are of small diameter, relatively low surface temperature (2500–5000K) and low absolute magnitude.

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"red dwarf." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"red dwarf." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-reddwarf.html

"red dwarf." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-reddwarf.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Howdy, neighbors: long-term study finds a batch of red dwarfs.(star systems) Magazine article from: Science News; 12/2/2006
	Red Dwarfs fall back to Earth.(Features) Newspaper article from: The Mirror (London, England); 4/30/1999
	Is star count triple past estimates? Astronomer finds many more red dwarfs;... Newspaper article from: The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA); 12/2/2010