any of various groups into which stars are classified according to characteristic spectral lines and bands. The most important classification (Harvard classification) has a series of classes O, B, A, F, G, K, M, the series also being a scale of diminishing surface temperature
spectral type in American English
noun
Astronomy
a category for classifying a star, as A star or G star, according to features of its spectrum, as its shape as a function of temperature and wavelength and its absorption spectrum, that indicate the surface temperature of the star and the presence of particular atoms or molecules in its outer layers: principal types are spectral types O, B, A, F, G, K, and M
Also called: spectral class
Word origin
[1920–25]This word is first recorded in the period 1920–25. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Unknown Soldier, fundamentalism, ski jump, superpower, zipper
Examples of 'spectral type' in a sentence
spectral type
For each star, photometric spectral type, absolute magnitude, metallicity, and color excess due to interstellar reddening have been determined.
Bartašiutė S. 2003, 'Photoelectric Vilnius Photometry of Stars in the Mega Proper Motion Field KA 10',Open Astronomyhttp://www.degruyter.com/view/j/astro.2003.12.issue-3/astro-2017-0058/astro-2017-0058.xml?format=INT. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)