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Astronomy · L4 · Stellar life cycle: from protostar to white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole

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Stellar life cycle from protostar through main sequence to white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.

by @openstemUpdated Astronomy
Giant Molecular Cloud(H₂ gas + dust, T ≈ 10–30 K)Protostar(gravitational collapse, accretion disk)Main Sequence Star(hydrogen → helium fusion in core)Low/Medium mass(< 8 M☉, like the Sun)High mass(> 8 M☉)Red Giant(H shell burning, core contracts)Planetary Nebula(outer layers ejected)White Dwarf(electron degenerate core, cools slowly)Red Supergiant(H, He, C, Ne, O, Si shell burning)Type II Supernova(iron core collapse → shock wave)Neutron Star(remnant < ~3 M☉)Black Hole(remnant > ~3 M☉)Gravitational collapse Jeans instabilityCore T reaches 10 MK H fusion ignitesEjects heavy elements (C, O, Fe, Au…)

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