Life cycles of low-mass (left cycle) and high-mass (right cycle) stars, with examples in italics. These objects are still hypothetical because the universe is not old enough for any stellar remnant to have reached this stage. They will ultimately become cool and dark compact stars. ![]() As they radiate away the heat, they lose energy and cool off, but their structure can remain the same virtually forever regardless of temperature. At this point, the star collapses under its own gravity and becomes a compact star (stellar remnant).Ĭompact stars do not produce energy themselves, but other than black holes, they radiate excess heat left from the process of collapse. When they run out of fuel, they evolve away from the main sequence and begin to expand into giants and supergiants.Ī star reaches the end of its life when the outward radiation pressure resulting from the nuclear fusion processes in its core is no longer able to resist the gravitational forces. Massive stars are hotter and they burn through their supply of hydrogen fuel faster. The more massive a star is the shorter its lifespan. ![]() It ends when the star becomes a stellar remnant: a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.Ī star’s life is primarily determined by its initial mass. It begins when a molecular cloud collapses under its own gravity and begins to contract, heat up, and break up into smaller fragments that give birth to the young star. The life cycle of a star is the process of change that every star undergoes over time.
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