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Astronomycast, episode 217 for Monday, January 24th, 2011. Stellar classification.

Welcome to Astronomycast, our weekly facts-based journey through the cosmos, where we help you understand not only what we know, but how we know what we know.

My name is Fraser Cane, I'm the publisher of University Day, and with me, as always, is Dr. Pamela Gaye, a professor at Southern Illinois University at Richville.

Hi Pamela, how are you doing?

I'm doing well, how are you doing Fraser?

I'm doing great. I got nothing else to say.

Everything interesting to say?

Life is good.

Okay, well on that note.

There's a shuttle launch coming?

That's true, yeah.

So on that note, let's get into the show then.

Chichet over, chichet done.

Have you ever heard an astronomer utter these words?

Oh, be a fine girl and kiss me.

They're not being romantic.

They're just trying to remember the different ways to organize stars.

As detailed nicely on the Hurt Spring Russell diagram.

So let's find out what all those letters mean and what differentiates a type O star from a type G star.

Well, I know this is this is the show that everybody's been waiting for.

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