White or blue-white stars with surface temperatures of 7,500-10,000 Kelvin, characterized by strong hydrogen absorption lines in their spectra. These stars are more massive than the Sun and have lifespans of several hundred million to a few billion years.
The A-type classification originates from the Harvard system developed by Annie Jump Cannon and colleagues. The letter 'A' was retained when the system was reorganized by temperature, representing stars with prominent hydrogen Balmer absorption lines.
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