main sequence
noun
: the group of stars that on a graph of spectrum versus luminosity forms a band comprising 90 percent of stellar types and that includes stars representative of the stages a normal star passes through during the majority of its lifetime
Examples of main sequence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the most common engulfment scenarios happens when a star runs out of hydrogen at its core at the end of its main sequence lifetime.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 June 2026
The team concentrated on stars that had recently entered the post-main sequence phase, having exhausted their hydrogen, and identified just 130 planets and planet candidates orbiting nearby – 33 of which had not been detected before.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
That eliminates any main sequence stars, leaving a white dwarf as the only likely answer.
—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
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Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 June 2026
The team concentrated on stars that had recently entered the post-main sequence phase, having exhausted their hydrogen, and identified just 130 planets and planet candidates orbiting nearby – 33 of which had not been detected before.
—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
That eliminates any main sequence stars, leaving a white dwarf as the only likely answer.
—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Main sequence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/main%20sequence. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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