Stars of Multiple Colours, 1923

Beautiful color print titled “Stars of Multiple Colours,” from the book “Le Ciel,” illustrated under the direction of Lucien Rudaux by Alphonse Berget in 1923.

Printed on heavyweight, museum-quality Hahnemühle Fine-Art paper, this reproduction captures the vibrant spectrum of star colors that reveal crucial insights into stellar evolution.

The colors of stars reflect their surface temperatures and stages of development. Blue stars, with their high temperatures, emit shorter-wavelength light, signifying their youth and immense heat. In contrast, red stars radiate longer wavelengths and cooler light, representing older stars nearing the end of their life cycle. Between these extremes, stars of yellow, orange, and white represent various stages and compositions. By studying these colors, astronomers gain invaluable knowledge about the life cycles, compositions, and physical properties of stars, helping us unlock the mysteries of the universe.

Alphonse Berget (1860–1933), a French physicist and oceanographer, made significant contributions to our understanding of Earth and ocean sciences. Lucien Rudaux (1874–1947), an artist and astronomer, is renowned for his space-themed illustrations, with the Rudaux crater on Mars and the asteroid 3574 Rudaux named in his honor.