How is the surface temperature of a star directly observable or determined through analysis?
Answer
Through spectroscopy or by analyzing the star's peak color.
A star's effective surface temperature is directly linked to the peak wavelength of the light it emits. Hotter objects emit shorter wavelengths, appearing blue or white, while cooler objects radiate more strongly at longer wavelengths, appearing reddish. Astronomers utilize spectroscopy, which analyzes the detailed distribution of light across the spectrum, or simpler photometric techniques that measure the star's dominant color to accurately determine this surface temperature value.
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