An astronomy student, for her PhD, really needs to estimate the age of a cluster of stars. Which of the following would be part of the process she would follow?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most common way to estimate the age of a cluster of stars is to plot the stars on an H-R diagram based on their spectral type and brightness. This will reveal the main sequence of stars as well as any red giants, and the location of a star on this diagram provides important information about its age and mass. Other options like measuring Doppler shifts or searching for x-rays or planets would not be as useful for estimating the age of a cluster. Counting the number of M type stars may give some information about the overall population of the cluster, but it would not directly help in estimating the age.

An Astronomy Student, for Her PhD, Really Needs to Estimate