HYDROGEN SHELL: The layer surrounding the core of a red giant where hydrogen is still being fused into helium.
Month: July 2025
SHELL FUSION: The fusion of hydrogen and helium in shells around the core, occurring in red giants and supergiants.
CORE HELIUM FUSION: The process by which helium is fused into heavier elements, such as carbon and oxygen, in the core of red giants.
SUPERGIANT: An extremely large and luminous star, much bigger than a red giant, located in the upper right of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.
RED GIANT: A large, cool star in the later stages of its evolution, after it has exhausted hydrogen in its core.
RED GIANTS AND SUPERGIANTS
HELIUM ACCUMULATION: In a star’s core, as hydrogen is converted to helium, the amount of helium increases, leading to changes in the star’s structure.
SOLAR MASS STARS: Stars with a mass similar to the Sun’s, which will eventually evolve into red giants after their main sequence phase.
ZERO-AGE MAIN SEQUENCE: The stage in a star’s evolution when it first begins fusing hydrogen in its core.
STAR’S LIFESPAN: Main sequence stars with greater mass burn through their fuel faster, leading to a shorter lifespan.