Late-type star
Encyclopedia
In stellar classification
, a late-type star is a star
of class K or class M. The term was coined in the early 20th century, when there was a belief that stars began their history as early-type stars of class O, B, or A, and subsequently cooled to late-type stars.
Stellar classification
In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. The spectral class of a star is a designated class of a star describing the ionization of its chromosphere, what atomic excitations are most prominent in the light, giving an objective measure...
, a late-type star is a star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
of class K or class M. The term was coined in the early 20th century, when there was a belief that stars began their history as early-type stars of class O, B, or A, and subsequently cooled to late-type stars.