☀️ Stellar Luminosity Calculator
Bigger and hotter stars shine brighter — by the fourth power of temperature.
Results
- Luminosity
- 1 × the Sun
How it works
L/L☉ = (R/R☉)² × (T/T☉)⁴
The Stefan–Boltzmann law: double a star's temperature and it radiates 16 times more energy per square metre. This is why small, white-hot stars can outshine cool red giants.
Assumptions: Blackbody approximation, T☉ = 5,778 K.
Reference: Stefan–Boltzmann law