Hertzsprung-Russell diagram results

When data on the nearest stars to us or stars in a cluster are plotted in a HR diagram, here is what one sees:

Most stars fall on a band, called the main sequence.

There are some stars that are not on the main sequence. They are very interesting, but for now, let's concentrate on the main sequence.

The question is, why is there a main sequence?

Davison E. Soper, Institute of Theoretical Science, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403 USA soper@bovine.uoregon.edu