The stages that all stars have in common in their life cycles include:
- Nebula - All stars begin their life cycles in nebulae, which are clouds of gas and dust.
- Protostar - From the nebula, a protostar forms as gravity pulls the material together.
While some stars may go on to become black holes or white dwarfs, these are not universal stages for all stars. Thus, the common stages across all stars are nebula and protostar.