Stellar Evolution
All stars form in nebulae, huge clouds of gas and dust.
Though they shine for thousands of years, stars do not last forever. The changes that occur in a star over time and the final stage of its life depends on a star's size.
Eventually, the hydrogen that powers a star's nuclear reactions begins to run out. The star then enters the final phases of its lifetime. All stars will expand, cool and change colour to become a red giant or red supergiant.
What happens next depends on how massive the star is.
Blackholes
In 2015, scientists first detected gravitational waves. These ripples in space-time were caused by two black holes colliding and shaking the Universe.
Stars That Go Bang!
Supernovae are exploding stars which increase in brightness very suddenly and unexpectedly.
Jocelyn Bell-Burnell
Credit: Wikimedia (User: Anrie)
Occupation: Astrophysicist
Year born: 1943
Research Areas: Radio-Astronomy, Pulsars
Pair the Stages of a Star
Though they shine for many thousands, and even millions of years, stars do not last for ever. They ignite, burn, and then run out of fuel and go out.
Can you match the images of each stage of a star's existence to the correct description?
Order the Stages of a Star
During their lives, stars undergo massive changes. What happens to them depends on how much mass they contain.
Can you put the stages that a low mass star and a high mass star will go through in the correct order on the diagram?
