What causes a Red Giant to be significantly more luminous than a Main Sequence dwarf star?
Answer
Its massive surface area
Although a Red Giant's surface temperature drops (making it reddish), its overall luminosity skyrockets because the total light output is proportional to its massive surface area, which can be hundreds to thousands of times larger than a dwarf star.
Frequently Asked Questions
What evolutionary phase does the term "giant star" usually refer to?How is our Sun classified in terms of its current evolutionary stage?What causes a Red Giant to be significantly more luminous than a Main Sequence dwarf star?What is a White Dwarf primarily composed of?What is characteristic of the lifespan of Red Dwarfs?Which evolutionary path leads from a Red Giant to a White Dwarf?What is the primary fuel-burning process occurring in a Red Giant star?What does the term "dwarf star" generally encompass regarding stellar populations?How does the radius of a giant star compare to the radius of a Sun-like dwarf star?Which type of Main Sequence star is described as the smallest and coolest?