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.
Tana Joseph
Credit: Willie Runte. All rights reserved.
Used by permission.
Occupation: Astronomer and Science Communicator
Year born: 1984
Research Areas: Extragalactic X-ray Binaries, Radio Astronomy
"Science isn’t done until it is communicated."
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?
Karl Schwarzschild
Occupation: Physicist & Astronomer
Year born: 1873
Research Areas: Relativity, Black Holes, Quantum Theory, Stars, Comets
"Mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, march in one front."
Stephen Hawking
Credit: Jim Campbell/Aero-News Network
Occupation: Physicist & Author
Year born: 1942
Research Areas: Cosmology, Theoretical Physics
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Credit: Starchild Project NASA
Occupation: Astrophysicist
Year born: 1910
Research Areas: Stellar Evolution, Black Holes
"My motive has not been to solve a single problem, but to acquire a perspective of an entire area"