Life Cycle of Stars
Science · Space Exploration · conceptual
Understand the basics of a star’s life cycle: stars are born in clouds of gas and dust (nebulae), shine for millions or billions of years by fusing hydrogen, and eventually die — massive stars explode as supernovae while smaller stars fade into white dwarfs
What mastery looks like
- Describe that stars form from clouds of gas and dust called nebulae
- State that stars produce energy by fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores
- Explain that massive stars end in a supernova explosion while smaller stars shrink to become white dwarfs
Check your understanding
Can Life Cycle of Stars explain that stars are born, live for a very long time, and eventually die — and that really big stars can explode at the end?
Prerequisites
Required first
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