Stellar mass
Stellar mass is a term used in astronomy to describe how much mass is in a star. Scientists often measure this mass by comparing it to the mass of the Sun, which is called a solar mass (M☉) For example, the star Sirius has about 2.02 times the mass of the Sun, which is written as 2.02 M☉.[1] A star's mass will change over its lifetime because mass is lost with the stellar wind or thrown out by pulsational behavior, or if extra mass is accreted, such as from a binary star.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Liebert, James; Young, Patrick A.; Arnett, David; Holberg, Jay B.; Williams, Kurtis A. (2005). "The Age and Progenitor Mass of Sirius B". The Astrophysical Journal. 630 (1): L69–L72. arXiv:astro-ph/0507523. Bibcode:2005ApJ...630L..69L. doi:10.1086/462419. S2CID 8792889.