Orange dwarf

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Orange dwarfs are main sequence stars of spectral type K. These stars are intermediate in size between M class red dwarf stars and yellow G class stars such as the Earth's Sun. Orange dwarfs vary from 0.5 to 0.9 times the mass of the Sun and have a surface temperature between 4000 and 5200 degrees Celsius. Examples include Alpha Centauri B and Epsilon Indi.

These stars are of particular interest in the search for extraterrestrial life because they are stable on the main sequence for a very long time (15 to 30 billion years, compared to 10 billion for the Earth's Sun). This may create an opportunity for life to evolve on terrestrial planets orbiting such stars.

[edit] See also

• Yellow dwarf
• Brown dwarf
• Red dwarf
• White dwarf
• Solar twins