What is the typical surface temperature range for a red supergiant on the H-R diagram?
Answer
3,500 K to 4,500 K.
Red supergiants occupy a specific, low-temperature zone on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, despite their extreme luminosity. This combination of very high total energy output (luminosity) and relatively cool surface temperatures is what defines them. The precise range given for these stellar behemoths falls between 3,500 Kelvin and 4,500 Kelvin. This relatively cool exterior temperature dictates their observed visual color, distinguishing them from hotter, bluer stellar classes.
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