What do L, T, and Y spectral types essentially represent?
Answer
Increasingly cool objects, essentially brown dwarfs
The stellar classification system extends beyond the traditional M class to include L, T, and Y spectral types, which denote objects that are progressively cooler than M-type stars. These cooler classes are generally associated with objects known as brown dwarfs. In the atmospheres of these very cool objects, the chemistry shifts away from simple atomic absorption toward the dominance of molecules and even simple compounds, reflecting their extremely low temperatures.
Related Questions
What is the correct order of spectral types from hottest to coolest?What characteristic directly determines a star's spectral type letter?Which spectral class exhibits the strongest Balmer lines (hydrogen absorption)?What do L, T, and Y spectral types essentially represent?Which luminosity class is assigned to Main-Sequence Stars?What is the full classification designation assigned to Our Sun?What is the name sometimes associated with the luminosity class Roman numeral system?In the stellar designation K5 III, what status does the Roman numeral 'III' indicate?Which physical law links known luminosity and temperature to calculate a star's radius?Which prominent grouping runs diagonally across the center of the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram?Why are the Supergiant regions (Class I) very sparse on a typical HR diagram?