Key Words

Terms preceded by an asterisk (*) are discussed in the Boxes.

absolute magnitude

OBAFGKM

apparent brightness (brightness)

optical double star

apparent magnitude

parallax

binary star (binary)

parsec

brown dwarf

photometry

center of mass

*proper motion

color ratio

*radial velocity

*distance modulus

radial velocity curve

double star

red giant

eclipsing binary

*space velocity

giant

spectral classes

Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (H-R diagram)

spectral types

inverse-square law

spectroscopic binary

light curve

spectroscopic parallax

luminosity

spectrum binary

luminosity class

stellar parallax

luminosity function

supergiant

magnitude scale

*tangential velocity

main sequence

UBV photometry

main-sequence star

visual binary

mass-luminosity relation

white dwarf

metals