A star is a massive, glowing ball of gas that produces its own light and energy.
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A star's life cycle is determined by its mass. The larger its mass, the shorter its life cycle.
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Stars spend most of their lives burning hydrogen in their cores. As they age, this process changes, leading to their eventual death.
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Astronomers estimate the universe has up to one septillion stars (1 followed by 24 zeros), with the Milky Way alone housing over 100 billion, including our Sun.
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Once a star exhausts its hydrogen fuel, it starts to burn heavier elements like helium, causing it to expand and become a red giant.
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All stars start as a cloud of dust and gas, or nebula, which forms a protostar and then becomes a main sequence star. How a star evolves next depends on its size.
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A star forms when hydrogen nuclei fuse to create helium, releasing energy that keeps the star’s core hot.
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During the stable phase, gravity pulling the star inwards is balanced by the high pressure from its hot temperatures.
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When the hydrogen is used up, the star starts forming larger nuclei and may expand into a red giant.
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When all the nuclear reactions are over, small stars begin to contract under the pull of gravity and become a white dwarf.
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A larger star continues nuclear reactions, growing hotter and expanding until it explodes as a supernova.
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Depending on the mass at the start of its life, a supernova leaves behind either a neutron star or a black hole.