Red Giant (Noun)
Meaning
A large, old, luminous star; has a relatively low surface temperature and a diameter large relative to the sun.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Examples
- The red giant phase is a late stage in the evolution of a star like our sun, where it expands to many times its original size.
- Betelgeuse is a red giant star in the constellation Orion that is nearing the end of its life.
- A red giant star is formed when a star like our sun exhausts its hydrogen fuel and expands to become much larger and cooler.
- The red giant branch is a prominent stage in the life of a star, where it fuses helium into heavier elements in its core.
- In about five billion years, our sun will exhaust its fuel and become a red giant, engulfing the inner planets in the solar system.