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Published byMaximillian Preston Modified over 9 years ago
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The Life of a Star All stars begin their lives as nebula.
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A star is born when gas and dust from a nebula contract and it becomes very hot. At this point, nuclear fusion starts. The earliest stage of a star’s life is called a protostar.
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How long does a star live? That depends on how much mass it has. In general, smaller stars burn longer than larger stars. In a way, they are more efficient. A medium-sized star will last for about 10 billion years.
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When a star begins to run out of fuel, its center shrinks and the outer region expands. At his point, it will become either a white dwarf, a neutron star or a black hole. A white dwarf star is very dense. It is about the size of earth, but has a mass equal to that of the Sun. It is a white color, but has no fuel left.
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A supernova is formed when a dying giant star explodes. After, this explosion occurs, some material is left behind.
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This leftover material may form a neutron star. Neutron stars are even smaller and more dense than white dwarf stars.
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The largest stars become black holes when they die. A black hole is so dense and its gravity is so strong that nothing can escape - not even light!
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So how do scientists know that black holes exist? If there is gas near a black hole, it is pulled towards it So strongly that it rotates and spins very fast. The gas heats up and emits x-rays, which can be detected.
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A quasar is a fairly recently discovery. It is a bright object that is very far away. It is not a star. Scientists think they are giant black holes in distant galaxies. The light is created by the mass of spinning gas.
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