Why Red Stars Are Cooler Than Blue Ones: Star Color as a Temperature Gauge
On a faucet, red means hot water and blue means cold. In the night sky, it's the reverse: red stars sit at a relatively cool 3,000°C, while blue-white stars blaze past 30,000°C. The Sun, a yellow star, lands right in between at about 5,500°C. Star color isn't a matter of style — it's a direct readout of surface temperature, one you can see with your own eyes in Orion's red Betelgeuse and blue Rigel.
