Russell, Henry Norris

The Danish astronomer Ejnar Hertzsprung and the American astronomer Henry Norris Russell independently observed a very well defined correlation between the luminosity and surface temperature of stars. That correlation is shown in Figure 12.7 and is called a Hertzsprung-Russell, or H-R, diagram. Most stars, such as our sun, fall in a narrow band on this diagram called the main sequence. Stars in this main sequence have luminosities L that are approximately proportional to 7 s5u3face, or in terms of their mass, M, L °c M3 5. How long a star stays on the main sequence will depend on its mass, which, in ton, is related to the reaction rates in its interior. 

In 1977 she received the prestigious Henry Norris Russell Prize from the American Astronomical Society. In her acceptance speech, she discussed her excitement for science ... 

Henry Norris Russell (1877-1957). Frederick Albert Saunders (1875-1963). 

---