Do you know that a star dies eventually after a period of time?? It was previously thought that stars are static and do not change with time. But observations have shown that stars do change and undergo a complex life cycle. The life cycle of stars can be compared to that of a human being – like humans, stars are born, live for a very long period of time and eventually die. However, the lifetime of a star is exceptionally long compared to human standards. So it is not possible for us to witness the life cycle of an individual star. But astronomers have come up with an ingenious method to solve this problem.
By studying different stars in various stages of development, they are now able to determine the various changes that a star undergoes during its life cycle. Ultimately, it is the star’s mass that decides its fate.
Scientists have divided the life cycle of a star into the following stages:
Stages compared to that of a human being:
· Protostar - Fetus
· Main Sequence – Infancy to Adulthood
· Red Giant – Middle Age
· White Dwarf / Black Hole – Old Age
The Sun is in its main sequence which started 4.6 billion years ago. Unfortunately, we won’t live to see the sun turning into a Red Giant as it will remain in this phase atleast for the next 5 billion years.
0 comments:
Post a Comment