The life cycle of a star typically follows these stages:
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Nebula: Stars begin their life in a nebula, a cloud of gas and dust. Gravity causes the materials in the nebula to collapse and form a protostar.
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Main Sequence: Once nuclear fusion starts in the core, the star enters the main sequence phase, where it spends most of its life, shining steadily by fusing hydrogen into helium.
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Red Giant: After exhausting hydrogen in its core, the star expands and becomes a red giant. In this stage, it starts to fuse helium into heavier elements.
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Supergiant: If the star is massive enough, it continues to fuse heavier elements and eventually becomes a supergiant.
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Supernova: When the supergiant can no longer support its core, it undergoes a dramatic explosion called a supernova, scattering its outer layers into space.
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White Dwarf: For medium-sized stars, after the explosion, the remaining core becomes a white dwarf, which gradually cools and fades over time.
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Black Hole: For very massive stars, the core may collapse further into a black hole after a supernova, an area with gravity so strong that not even light can escape.
This sequence illustrates the transformative journey of a star from its birth to its end stages.