The

Life Cycle of a Star

Stars have been around for millions
upon millions of years. It feels like
they just appear into existence and
disappear when their times up. In
reality, the whole process is
complicated but very incredible.
While we may feel small on Earth
when compared to the Sun, that very
Sun is actually even smaller than an
average star in Space.

However, the first step of a star is not

always larger than our sun.
Protostar
Takes about 10 million years to form
The formation of a star begins in a cloud of gas and
dust where the cloud core collapses under its own
weight/gravity. Loose gas falls into the center of the
star. A few million years will pass and thermonu-
clear fusion will begin in the core. A strong stellar
wind will be produced which stops the protostar
from gaining any more mass.
Star
Lasts for millions to billions of years
The mass of the star dictates the colour of the star.
The larger the star, the hotter it is. Incredibly large
stars generally take on a blue hue while smaller
stars take on yellow, red, or brown hues.
Red Giant
Lasts for approx. billions of years
If the star has enough solar mass, it will become a
Main Sequence Star. The core will begin to contract
and reactions will begin to occur in the shell around
the core. Once the core is hot enough for the helium
to turn to carbon, the outer layer of the star will ex-
pand. It will become a red giant star and will contin-
ue to convert helium for millions of years.
White Dwarf
Lasts for 10 to 20 billion years
After a couple million years, the helium core will
run out. The outer layers will drift away from the
core as a gaseous shell as a planetary nebula. The
remaining core becomes a white dwarf.
White dwarves are similar in size to Earth.
Red Supergiant
Lasts for millions of years
Sometimes, the star becomes a Red Supergiant in-
stead because of its larger mass. These stars evolve
similarly to smaller stars until they reach the main
sequence stage. Nuclear reactions will occur which
form different elements in multiple shells around the
core of the star in the next couple of million years.
Black Hole
In an instant, the core of the Red Supergiant will
collapse and cause an explosion. The shock wave
from it will blow the outer layers of the star.
Happens in of a second. Lasts for 10100 years
If the core is greater than 3 solar masses, the core
will contract and become a black hole.
There are many different paths
for a star to take and this book
highlights only a couple of them.
The colour and fate of a star
is always determined by their
mass. The larger the star, the
brighter they shine and the
faster they go.
Designed and Illustrated by Ray Tang
Beginning Graphic Design
Typset in New Century Schoolbook
Cover Image by Calvin Observatory

2017
The
Life Cycle of a Star
by Ray Tang