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The Life Cycle of a Star
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Protostar
A stage in the stellar evolution where a collapsing cloud of gas and dust is increasing in temperature and pressure, eventually forming a hot core.
Main Sequence Star
A stable period of a star's life cycle where hydrogen is being fused into helium in the core, producing energy that makes the star shine.
Red Giant
A phase where a star has exhausted hydrogen in its core and begins to fuse helium into heavier elements; the outer layers expand as the core contracts.
Supergiant
Massive stars enter this phase after main sequence, where they continue to fuse heavier elements until iron, leading to significant growth and luminosity.
White Dwarf
The remnants of low to medium-mass stars, these dense objects are left behind after a star has shed its outer layers and no further fusion occurs.
Neutron Star
An extremely dense object formed after a supernova explosion, consisting mostly of neutrons; the core of a collapsed high-mass star.
Black Hole
Occurs when a massive star collapses under its own gravity to a point of infinite density, known as a singularity, from which no light can escape.
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