Follow the main sequence
Most stars form a diagonal band from hot, luminous blue stars to cool, faint red stars. This is where stars spend most of their lives fusing hydrogen.
182-star catalogue
Explore the stellar population
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Advanced filtersTemperature, distance, magnitude, radius, age, stellar type, spectral class, and constellation Optional · currently showing all stars
Temperature
Distance
Apparent magnitude
Radius
Age
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Hotter
OBAFGKM
Cooler
What you can do
Read the lives of stars from one diagram
Each point is a real star. Move over or select a point to inspect it, search by name, isolate a stellar type, limit the sample by distance, and switch between true radius and equal-size markers.
Temperature decreases from left to right, while luminosity rises upwards. This unusual arrangement reveals the diagonal main sequence, swollen giants above it, and faint white dwarfs below it.
How to read the diagram
Three patterns to look for
Compare colour and heat
Blue-white stars on the left have hotter surfaces. Orange and red stars on the right are cooler—even when a giant’s large surface makes it extremely luminous.
Find the stellar outliers
Giants and supergiants sit above the main sequence. White dwarfs sit below it: very hot, but faint because their radiating surfaces are so small.