Massive star

• Stellar nebula


  All stars begin in a cloud of gas and dust called a stellar nebula.

  Gravity will cause the nebula to contract. The nebula will break into smaller pieces and eventually form stars
• Life of a massive star

  Stars with more mass than the sun burn their hydrogen faster than low mass stars so their main sequence phase is much shorter. These stars burn hotter and brighter than low mass stars
• Red supergiant


  When the high mass star burns off its hydrogen its outer layers begin to expand rapidly. Temperatures at the core are much higher than a red giant. Nuclear fusion causes elements to combine into an iron core at amazing speeds
• Supernova


  The iron core collapses on itself under the intense gravity at very high speeds. The energy released is called supernova
• Neutron star or black hole

  After the incredible release of energy from the supernova, a dense core is all that remains of the massive star. If the mass is too dense, it will continue to collapse on itself forming a black hole. The gravitational pull of a black hole is so great that light cannot escape