Star Life Cycle

• 1. Stars initially form a cloud of dust and gas called a nebula
• 2. The force of gravity pulls the dust and gas together to form a protostar. The temperature rises as the star gets denser and more particles collide with each other. When the temperature gets high enough, hydrogen nuclei undergo nuclear fission to form helium nuclei. This gives out huge amount of energy which keeps the core if the star hot
• 3. the star enters a long stable period where the outward pressure balances with the force of gravity. This is known as a main sequence star
• 4. The hydrogen runs out and the star swells into a red giant (small star) or a red super giant (large star)
• Lifecycle (bigger than sun)

  • Cloud of gas and dust
  • Main sequence star
  • Red super giant
  • Supernova
  • Neutron star or black hole
• Life cycle (smaller than sun)

  • Cloud of gas and dust
  • Protostar
  • Main sequence star
  • Red giant
  • White dwarf
  • Black dwarf