What diagram is mapped by comparing star clusters that formed at the same time?
Answer
Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram
Due to the immense timescales involved in stellar evolution relative to human observation spans, astronomers use a method involving observing countless stars at different stages to piece together the life cycle. This methodology, combined with computer modeling, allows scientists to map the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram. By examining star clusters that formed simultaneously, astronomers look for the 'turn-off' point—the location where the most massive stars have already exhausted their main sequence fuel and begun evolving into giants. The position of this turn-off point on the H-R diagram directly reveals the cluster's age, as brighter, more massive stars evolve and leave the main sequence much sooner.
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