Astrophysics (Index)About

subgiant

(slightly larger than normal star)

A subgiant star is brighter than a normal main sequence star of the same spectral type would be, but not as bright as such a giant star. The stellar luminosity class IV indicates a subgiant star. Some somewhat-low mass stars (e.g., the Sun) have a phase in their stellar evolution when they fit this category. The phase, termed the subgiant branch (SGB), is their time transitioning from the main sequence to the red-giant branch (RGB). On the H-R diagram (HRD), they fall in a relatively empty region (due to the short lifetime of this phase) termed the Hertzsprung gap (HG) and the stars are sometimes referred to as HG stars.


(star type,stellar evolution,H-R diagram)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subgiant
https://www.astro.princeton.edu/~burrows/classes/403/stages.pdf
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100539527
http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/star_intro.html#subgiants
https://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/subgiant.html

Referenced by pages:
giant star
horizontal branch (HB)
K-type star (K)
luminosity class
red-giant branch (RGB)

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