| a star in an intermediate stage of evolution, characterized by a large volume, low surface temperature, and reddish hue. |
| red giant n. A star of great size and brightness that has a relatively low surface temperature. |
| red giant
A giant star that has a relatively low surface temperature, giving it a reddish or orange hue. Red giants are non-main-sequence stars positioned in the upper right of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. They are not massive stars but rather late, expanded stages of lower-mass main-sequence stars that have exhausted the hydrogen in their core and are fusing their remaining hydrogen into helium in a luminous outer shell. The Sun is expected to become a red giant in about 5 billion years, expanding to 70 times its current size and bringing its surface extremely close to Earth's present orbit. See more at star. See Note at dwarf star. |