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Life Cycle of a Star
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Low to Medium Mass Stars
The remaining stages of a star's life depend on its mass.
Those that are less than five times the mass of our Sun become Red Giants.
Those that are five times larger than our Sun become Supergiants.
High Mass Stars
White Dwarf
Red Giant
Black Dwarf
DEAD
DYING
The white dwarf eventually runs out of fuel and dies as a black dwarf.
When a main sequence star begins to run out of hydrogen fuel, the star becomes a red giant or a red super giant.
After a low or medium mass star has become a red giant the outer parts grow bigger and drift into space, forming a cloud of gas called a planetary nebula. The blue-white hot core of the star that is left behind cools and becomes a white dwarf.
Low to Medium Mass Stars
Nebula
Protostar to Main Sequence Star
Division of Small versus Large Mass Stars
All stars start as a nebula. A nebula is a large cloud of gas and dust. Gravity can pull some of the gas and dust in a nebula together.
The contracting cloud is then called a protostar. A protostar is the earliest stage of a star’s life. A star is born when the gas and dust from a nebula become so hot that nuclear fusion starts.Once a star has “turned on” it is known as a main sequence star.
Neutron Star
After the star explodes, some of the materials from the star are left behind. This material may form a neutron star. Neutron stars are the remains of high-mass stars.
DEAD
Red Super Giant
Supernova
High Mass
DYING
When a main sequence star begins to run out of hydrogen fuel, the star becomes a red giant or a red super giant.
A dying red super giant star can suddenly explode. The explosion is called a supernova.
The fate of the star depends on its mass.
High Mass Stars
DEAD
Very High Mass
Black Hole
The most massive stars become black holes when they die. After a large mass star explodes, a large amount of mass may remain. The gravity of the mass is so strong that gas is pulled inward, pulling more gas into a smaller and smaller space. Eventually, the gravity becomes so strong that nothing can escape, not even light.