Month: July 2025

SPECTRAL CLASSIFICATION – A system for categorizing stars based on their spectral features, primarily temperature and luminosity.

LIFETIME OF STARS – The total duration a star spends in different phases, from protostar to its eventual death as a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.

STELLAR WINDS – Streams of particles blown away from a star, often accelerating during the later stages of the star’s life cycle.

HYDROGEN SHELL FUSION – The process that occurs in a star after it leaves the main sequence, where hydrogen fusion happens in a shell around the core.

MASS LOSS – The shedding of outer layers by stars during later stages, including in their red giant or supernova phases.

FINAL STAGE OF LOW-MASS STARS – Stars with less than 8 times the mass of the Sun end their lives as white dwarfs.

BURNING SHELL – Layers of fusion occurring outside the core of a star, typically in its red giant phase.

HELIUM FLASH – A sudden ignition of helium fusion in a red giant, marking a transition in the star’s life cycle.

RED SUPERGIANT – A massive star nearing the end of its life cycle, expanding greatly as it fuses heavier elements.