Stars are born, grow, and eventually exhaust their nuclear fuel through a defined life cycle. Initially, they fuse light elements into heavier ones, releasing energy. For stars like the Sun, they expand into red giants, continuing fusion in surrounding shells. Eventually, the core runs out of helium, leading to the AGB phase characterized by thermal pulses and mass loss. For lower-mass stars, this culminates in the formation of a hot white dwarf and a shining planetary nebula. In contrast, very massive stars may end their lives in a core-collapse supernova. The complex processes involved highlight critical aspects of stellar evolution.
Stars undergo a life cycle defined by nuclear fusion, evolving through phases until they exhaust their fuel, leading to various endpoints such as white dwarfs or supernovae.
Lower-mass stars like the Sun evolve into red giants, experience thermal pulses in the AGB phase, and eventually shed their outer layers, forming a planetary nebula.
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