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Stars go through many stages in their lifetime. Their age varies from a few million to a few trillion years depending on their mass. The bigger the star, the more fuel it's burning, which shortens its life.
Stars go through many stages in their lifetime. Their age varies from a few million to a few trillion years depending on their mass. The bigger the star, the more fuel it's burning, which shortens its life.
Below are the changes that a star will go through on a bigger and longer time scale, one that we are not able to observe in the period of one lifetime.
Stages of a Star
Stages of a Star
Gas Cloud
Gas Cloud
The first stage is the gas stage, also called the nebula, where stars are formed from clouds of dust and gas collapsing. The temperature allows molecules to synthesize and stars form when the temperature becomes hot and dense.
Protostar
Protostar
A protostar is the first form of a star, comprising of a clump of molecules made from pieces of molecular cloud running into each other. There can be multiple Protostars in one molecular cloud, depending on their size.
T-Tauri Phase
T-Tauri Phase
The T-Tauri phase begins when huge amounts of energy are gathered. The materials from the gas cloud are not affecting the star. This phase lasts around 100 million years.
Main Sequence
Main Sequence
The temperature of the star is hot enough for nuclear fusion to commerce. Hydrogen protons are converted to helium atoms. The level of gravity is stable enough to hold the star together. The hydrogen atoms are constantly being burned in their core.
Average Star
Average Star
Longer lifespans maintaining regular size proportions
Massive Star
Massive Star
Shorter lifespans because of more energy consumed
Red Giant
Red Giant
After some time, the star runs out of hydrogen fuel. This causes the star to expand because the star contracts inwards without a sort of reaction. The star appears red because of its cooler surface.
Red Super Giant
Red Super Giant
A bigger version of the red giant, the red supergiant is, at times, around 2000 times larger than an average red giant.
Fusion
Fusion
The helium molecules begin fusing at the core as it also fuses carbon after the helium cycle is finished. The core begins shrinking and collapsing due to the energy absorption from the fusion. The results diverge from here as red supergiant stars become supernovas while smaller red giant stars become white dwarfs.
Supernova
Supernova
Balance in the star's gravity becomes unstable, leading to a drop in pressure. When the pressure gets to a certain point, gravity enacts an explosion. Called a supernova, this blast blew off most of the star's material, leaving only the core. Depending on the size of the core, the star becomes a neutron star if the size is relative and a black hole if the size is large.
Planetary Nebula
Planetary Nebula
During planetary nebula, the outer layers of the star shed themselves off, creating a dust cloud around the core, The core contracts smaller and smaller until the star becomes a tiny white dwarf with its materials slowly drifting away. A red dwarf forms when its mass is small enough so that it only burns with an emitting red glow.
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