K-type main-sequence star

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/k-type-main-sequence-star

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the spectral type?K V (K-type main-sequence star, also known as orange dwarf)
2. What is the surface temperature range?3,900 K to 5,200 K
3. What are K-type main-sequence stars?K-type stars are orange‑yellow stars that are a little cooler than the Sun. They are called K V and have masses about 0.7 to 0.9 times the Sun and temperatures between 3,900 and 5,200 K.
4. Why do K-type stars live so long?They fuse hydrogen slowly through the proton‑proton chain, so they use their fuel very gently. This lets them shine for 15 to 30 billion years, much longer than the Sun.

Yerkes Spectral Classification: A system categorizing stars based on their spectral lines, indicating temperature and composition.
Proton-Proton Chain Reaction: The primary nuclear fusion process in stars like the Sun and K-type stars, converting hydrogen to helium.
Tidally Locked: When a celestial body's orbital period matches its rotational period, resulting in one side always facing the primary body.
Biosignature: A substance or phenomenon that provides evidence of past or present life.