How does a star's color relate to its temperature?

• A. The color of a star indicates its age only
• B. The color of a star is determined by distance from Earth
• C. Hotter stars appear blue/white; cooler stars appear yellow/orange/red; color correlates with surface temperature
• D. All stars emit the same color regardless of temperature

Answer: (C)

Stars glow like blackbodies, so the color we see reflects their surface temperature. Hotter stars shine more blue/white, while cooler ones glow yellow, orange, or red. This happens because the peak of a star’s light shifts with temperature: as temperature rises, the peak moves to shorter (bluer) wavelengths; as it falls, it moves to longer (redder) wavelengths. So color is a direct clue to how hot a star’s surface is, not its age or how far away it is. (Distance affects brightness, not the color itself.)