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In contrast with our sun, which is really a main sequence star, massive stars live very short lives, perhaps only millions of years, before they develop dead iron cores and explode as a supernova.
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Stars live out the majority of their lives in a phase termed as the Main Sequence. Once achieving nuclear fusion, stars radiate (shine) energy into space. The star slowly contracts over billions of years to compensate for the heat and light energy lost.
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Stage 4 - The star begins to release energy, stopping it from contracting even more and causes it to shine. It is now a Main Sequence Star. The nearest main sequence star to Earth, the Sun Stage 5 - A star of one solar mass remains in main sequence for about 10 billion years, until all of the hydrogen has fused to...
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Feb 4, 2009 Over time, a star slowly uses up the supply of hydrogen in its core, and leftover helium builds up. But the main sequence phase can last a...
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The properties of a main sequence star can be understood by considering the various physical processes acting in the interior. First is the hydrostatic balance, also called hydrostatic equilibrium. This determines the density structure of the star as the internal pressure gradient balances against the force of gravity.
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Outlined below are each of the phases of the main sequence that takes place during a star's life. At the end of its main sequence, the star may become something not usually thought of as being a star. These final stages of a star's life are also outlined below.
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The star has a mass of about 0.8 solar mass and its age is about half a million years or less. V1647 Orionis in this pre-main sequence phase is about five...
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Red giants are evolved from main sequence stars with masses in the range from Instead, at the end of the asymptotic giant branch phase, the star will...
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The star has now found a new energy source to hold itself up, although it won't last anywhere near as long as the hydrogen-burning main sequence. The star contracts and dims as it settles down on the helium-burning main sequence.
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The observed upper limit for stellar mass is about 60 Msun, the star becomes unstable beyond this limit. The heavy star will be an O type located at the upper left corner of the main sequence.
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