main sequence

nounAstronomy.

a narrow band in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in which 90 percent of all observed stars are plotted.

Origin of main sequence

First recorded in 1925–30

Words Nearby main sequence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use main sequence in a sentence

Because whatever its shortcomings, it was the first planet ever discovered outside our own solar system orbiting a main sequence star like the sun.
It's Been 25 Years Since We Found the First Exoplanet. Now We Know of Thousands—and Some Could Harbor Life | Chris Wilson | October 6, 2020 | Time
Returning to Room X in the main sequence we find wood-carving and pottery.
A Wanderer in Venice | E.V. Lucas
This control, termed the Sequence Break System, allows concurrent operation of several in-out devices and the main sequence.
Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3) | Digital Equipment Corporation
The main sequence of noise out of which the peaks rise is the 21-centimeter hydrogen line.
The Egyptian Cat Mystery | Harold Leland Goodwin
The main sequence, however, is constant and is that illustrated in fig. 13.
Ancient Plants | Marie C. Stopes

British Dictionary definitions for main sequence

main sequence

noun

astronomy
- a diagonal band on the Hertzsprung Russell diagram containing about 90% of all known stars; stars evolve onto and then off the band during their lifetime
- (as modifier): a main-sequence star

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for main sequence

main sequence

[ mān ]

The continuous, generally diagonal line or band in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram ranging from the upper left to the lower right and representing stars of average size whose luminosities correspond predictably to their surface temperatures. Stars in this grouping maintain a stable nuclear reaction and experience only small fluctuations in luminosity and temperature. Main-sequence stars are believed to be in the stable, middle phase of their development; they are expected to move off the main sequence once the hydrogen in their core is exhausted. At that point, depending on its size, a main-sequence star will become a giant star, a supergiant star, or a white dwarf. The more massive the star, the faster it burns its nuclear fuel and the shorter it remains in the main sequence. See more at Hertzsprung-Russell diagram star.

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