A concentration of intermediate-mass stars burning helium in their cores, appearing as a distinct grouping in the color-magnitude diagram. Red clump stars are the more massive counterparts to horizontal branch stars in stellar populations.
Named for the clumped appearance of these stars in color-magnitude diagrams, where they form a distinct red concentration. The term emerged in the 1980s as astronomers studied stellar populations in the galactic disk versus globular clusters.
Red clump stars are excellent standard candles for measuring distances within our galaxy because they all have nearly the same intrinsic brightness! These helium-burning stars helped astronomers map the structure of the Milky Way's spiral arms and measure our distance from the galactic center.
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