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subdwarf star

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A subdwarf, sometimes denoted by "sd", is a star with luminosity class VI under the Yerkes spectral classification system. They are defined as stars with luminosity 1.5 to 2 magnitudes lower than that of main-sequence stars of the same spectral type. On a Hertzsprung–Russell diagram subdwarfs appear to lie below the main sequence.

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Subdwarf stars
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7 sections
Contents
  • <span class="anchor" id="cool_subdwarf_anchor">Cool (red) subdwarfs</span>
  • Subdwarfs of type L, T and Y
  • Examples of cool subdwarfs
  • Hot (blue) subdwarfs<span class="anchor" id="hot subdwarf anchor"></span><span class="anchor" id="hot subdwarf"></span><span class="anchor" id="hot subdwarfs"></span><span class="anchor" id="hot subdwarf star"></span><span class="anchor" id="hot subdwarf stars"></span>
  • Heavy metal subdwarfs
  • Footnotes
  • References

A subdwarf, sometimes denoted by "sd", is a star with luminosity class&nbsp;VI under the Yerkes spectral classification system. They are defined as stars with luminosity&nbsp;1.5 to 2 magnitudes lower than that of main-sequence stars of the same spectral type. On a Hertzsprung–Russell diagram subdwarfs appear to lie below the main sequence.

The term "subdwarf" was coined by Gerard Kuiper in 1939, to refer to a series of stars with anomalous spectra that were previously labeled as "intermediate white dwarfs".

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