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A star that is of normal size for its mass. The term is often used to describe any star on the main sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, that is, any star producing energy by converting hydrogen to helium in its core.
The name arises from the natural comparison with giant and supergiant stars, which have greatly increased in size as a consequence of the evolutionary process. However, the largest main-sequence stars may be approaching the size of some red giants, so the distinction can become blurred. See also: white dwarf, stellar evolution. |