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The Lifecycle of Stars
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Black Hole
A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape. It forms from the remnants of a massive star that has undergone a supernova.
Supernova
A supernova is a powerful stellar explosion resulting from the death of a massive star. It occurs when a star has exhausted its nuclear fuel and its core collapses, causing a shock wave that ejects the outer layers.
White Dwarf
A white dwarf is the remnant of a low to medium mass star after shedding its outer layers. It no longer undergoes fusion reactions and slowly cools over time, packing a lot of mass into a small volume.
Nebula
A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space. Nebulas are the birthplaces of stars. The gravity can cause the nebula to collapse, forming clumps called protostars.
Red Giant
A red giant is a late stage in a star's life cycle; it occurs when the hydrogen fuel in the core is exhausted, and the outer layers expand as the core contracts. The star's surface cools and reddens.
Neutron Star
A neutron star is formed from the collapsed core of a massive star after a supernova explosion. It is incredibly dense, so much so that a sugar-cube-sized amount would weigh billions of tons on Earth.
Main Sequence Star
A main sequence star is a star in the longest active stage of its life. It fuses hydrogen into helium in its core, releasing energy that makes the star shine. Our sun is currently at this stable stage.
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