stellars

Stellars is not a standard technical term in astronomy, but it is sometimes used informally to refer to stellar objects—things related to stars or composed largely of stellar material. In formal usage, the field relies on the term stellar as an adjective and on nouns like star, stellar object, or stellar remnant to describe specific classes of bodies and phenomena.

Stars themselves are self-luminous, gravitationally bound spheres of plasma powered by nuclear fusion in their cores. Their life cycles depend primarily on mass. Low- to intermediate-mass stars begin as protostars, settle on the main sequence for a long period, and eventually shed outer layers to become white dwarfs. More massive stars may expand into red or blue supergiants and end their lives in cataclysmic supernovae, leaving behind neutron stars or black holes. Between these endpoints, there are intermediate stages such as subgiants and giants, as well as compact remnants like white dwarfs and neutron stars.

Key observational properties include luminosity, surface temperature, radius, and composition. The Hertzsprung–Russell diagram organizes stars by luminosity and temperature, revealing patterns in stellar evolution. Measurements rely on astrometry for distance, spectroscopy for chemical makeup and motion, and photometry for brightness and variability. Asteroseismology probes internal structure through oscillations.

The term stellars, when encountered, is typically a shorthand or stylistic choice rather than a formal designation. For precise discussions, scientists prefer specific terms such as stars, stellar remnants, star clusters, or stellar phenomena. See also stars, stellar evolution, Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, white dwarf, neutron star, black hole, and star-forming regions.