From the gentle cradle of gas clouds to the dramatic farewell of supernovae—explore the most magnificent life journey in our universe.
Cradle of Stars
Stellar Embryo
Turbulent Youth of a Young Star
Stable Adulthood of a Star
Expanding Twilight Years
Stellar Farewell in Splendor
Glowing Embers of a Star
Cradle of Stars
Stellar Embryo
Turbulent Youth of a Young Star
Stable Adulthood of a Star
Magnificent End Path
Heroic Sacrifice of a Star
Ultra-Dense Exotic Object
End of Spacetime
When the core temperature reaches about 10 million K, hydrogen fusion begins, and the star enters a long, stable main sequence phase where radiation pressure from the core balances gravity.
Every carbon atom and oxygen atom in your body, as well as all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, were synthesized inside stars billions of years ago and dispersed into space through supernova explosions.
The brighter a star, the shorter its lifespan. Massive stars have more fuel but burn it at a tremendously faster rate, lasting only a few million years, while small red dwarfs may burn for trillions of years.
There are about 100-400 billion stars in the Milky Way, and the estimated number of stars in the observable universe is around 10^24 (one septillion)—more than the number of sand grains on Earth's beaches.
"We are all star dust. Our bodies are made of atoms synthesized inside stars. We are the way the universe knows itself."