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What happens when the main sequence stage ends?
Eventually, a main sequence star burns through the hydrogen in its core, reaching the end of its life cycle. At this point, it leaves the main sequence. Stars smaller than a quarter the mass of the sun collapse directly into white dwarfs. White dwarfs no longer burn fusion at their center, but they still radiate heat.
What will happen when the Sun leaves the main sequence?
After the main sequence stage the Sun will rearrange itself, its core will shrink and its outer layers will expand. This stage is called the Red Giant stage in which the Sun will burn Helium into Carbon. This stage lasts for another 100 million years until the Sun has no more Helium to fuse into Carbon.
What are the stages after the main sequence?
The formation and life cycle of stars
- A nebula. A star forms from massive clouds of dust and gas in space, also known as a nebula.
- Protostar. As the mass falls together it gets hot.
- Main sequence star.
- Red giant star.
- White dwarf.
- Supernova.
- Neutron star or black hole.
What will happen to the Sun between it leaving the main sequence group and becoming a white dwarf?
The Sun is currently a main sequence star and will remain so for another 4-5 billion years. It will then expand and cool to become a red giant, after which it will shrink and heat up again to become a white dwarf. The white dwarf star will run out of nuclear fuel and slowly cool down over many billions of years.
What happens when the Sun leaves?
At the very end, the Sun will literally cough itself to death as multiple fuel ignitions and choked-off fusion extinguishments rip through its atmosphere. In four or five huge bursts, spaced roughly 100,000 years apart, the outer layers of the Sun will separate from the core and be completely blown away.
What is left behind after a star with four or more stellar masses has died?
THE DEATH OF A HIGH MASS STAR A dying red super giant star can suddenly explode. The explosion is called a supernova. After the star explodes, some of the materials from the star are left behind. This material may form a neutron star.
What will happen if alow massive main sequence star runs out of hydrogen fuel?
When a main sequence star begins to run out of hydrogen fuel, the star becomes a red giant or a red super giant. THE DEATH OF A LOW OR MEDIUM MASS STAR After a low or medium mass or star has become a red giant the outer parts grow bigger and drift into space, forming a cloud of gas called a planetary nebula.
What will happen if a massive main sequence star runs out of hydrogen fuel?
What happens to stars when they leave the main sequence?
Leaving the Main Sequence When stars run out of hydrogen, they begin to fuse helium in their cores. This is when they leave the main sequence. High-mass stars become red supergiants, and then evolve to become blue supergiants.
How is the lifetime of the main sequence determined?
The amount of fuel available for nuclear fusion is proportional to the mass of the star. Thus, the lifetime of a star on the main sequence can be estimated by comparing it to solar evolutionary models.
How long does a main sequence star live?
How long a main sequence star lives depends on how massive it is. A higher-mass star may have more material, but it burns through it faster due to higher core temperatures caused by greater gravitational forces.
What happens when a star runs out of hydrogen?
This takes it off the main sequence more quickly than a lower-mass star, which uses its fuel more slowly. When stars run out of hydrogen, they begin to fuse helium in their cores. This is when they leave the main sequence. High-mass stars become red supergiants, and then evolve to become blue supergiants.