Compare Star Sizes and Colors

Retrieve star properties and visualize their relative sizes and colors

This example models stars as perfect spheres and ideal blackbody radiators.

Retrieve a list of the five stars closest to the Sun:

In[1]:=

stars=EntityList[EntityClass["Star",{EntityProperty["Star","DistanceFromSun"]TakeSmallest[5]}]]

Out[1]=



Sun

Proxima Centauri

Rigil Kentaurus

Toliman

Barnard's Star



Retrieve the name, temperature and radius properties of each star:

In[2]:=

starProperties=EntityValue[stars,{"Name","EffectiveTemperature","Radius"},"PropertyAssociation"]

Out[2]=

NameSun,EffectiveTemperature

5772.

,Radius

4.323×

,NameProxima Centauri,EffectiveTemperature

3.04×

,Radius

6.67×

,NameRigil Kentaurus,EffectiveTemperature

5.8×

,Radius

4.4×

,NameToliman,EffectiveTemperature

5.0×

,Radius

3.6×

,NameBarnard's Star,EffectiveTemperature

2.8×

,Radius

1.0×



Sort by radius and convert numerical quantities to magnitudes:

In[3]:=

starData=SortBy[MapAt[QuantityMagnitude,starProperties,{All,{"EffectiveTemperature","Radius"}}],#Radius&]

Out[3]=

NameProxima Centauri,EffectiveTemperature3.04×

,Radius6.67×

,NameBarnard's Star,EffectiveTemperature2.8×

,Radius1.0×

,NameToliman,EffectiveTemperature5.0×

,Radius3.6×

,NameSun,EffectiveTemperature5772.,Radius4.323×

,NameRigil Kentaurus,EffectiveTemperature5.8×

,Radius4.4×



Compute x-coordinates so that stars are spaced along the x-axis:

In[4]:=

graphicsPositions=With[{radii=Lookup[starData,"Radius"]},2*Accumulate[radii]-radii]

Out[4]=

{6.7×

,2.4×

,7.×

,1.49×

,2.4×

}

Considering stars as blackbody radiators, assign a color to each star based on its effective temperature:

In[5]:=

starColors=With[{temps=Lookup[starData,"EffectiveTemperature"]},ColorData["BlackBodySpectrum"]/@temps]

Out[5]=





Add both coordinates and colors to the star data:

In[6]:=

starDataFinal=MapThread[#1,"XPosition"#2,"TemperatureColor"#3&,{starData,graphicsPositions,starColors}]

Out[6]=

NameProxima Centauri,EffectiveTemperature3.04×

,Radius6.67×

,XPosition6.7×

,TemperatureColor

,NameBarnard's Star,EffectiveTemperature2.8×

,Radius1.0×

,XPosition2.4×

,TemperatureColor

,NameToliman,EffectiveTemperature5.0×

,Radius3.6×

,XPosition7.×

,TemperatureColor

,NameSun,EffectiveTemperature5772.,Radius4.323×

,XPosition1.49×

,TemperatureColor

,NameRigil Kentaurus,EffectiveTemperature5.8×

,Radius4.4×

,XPosition2.4×

,TemperatureColor



Generate a

Graphics3D

of the stars as spheres:

In[7]:=

Graphics3DMap[{#["TemperatureColor"],Sphere[{#["XPosition"],0,#["Radius"]},#["Radius"]],Text[Style[#1["Name"],{White,FontSizeScaled[0.04`]}],{#1["XPosition"],0,2.7`#1["Radius"]}]}&,starDataFinal],



Out[7]=

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Contributed by: Felipe Amorim

Wolfram Language Example Repository

Compare Star Sizes and Colors

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Compare Star Sizes and Colors

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Related Symbols

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