Main-sequence mass-luminosity relation ($L/L_{\odot }\simeq (M/M_{\odot }{)}^{\alpha }$)

For main-sequence stars, luminosity increases steeply with mass. A local power-law approximation uses an exponent that varies with the stellar mass range and composition; $\alpha \simeq 4$ is a useful rough near-solar estimate. Evolved stars need not follow that same calibration.