Stellar evolution refers to the life cycle of a star from its formation to its eventual death. This process varies significantly based on the star's mass.
The steps of stellar evolution include:
- Stellar Formation: Stars form in massive clouds of dust and gas called nebulae. Gravitational forces cause the clouds to collapse, forming a protostar.
- Main Sequence: Stars spend the majority of their lives in this phase. They fuse hydrogen into helium in their cores, producing light and heat.
- Main-Sequence Turnoff: The point at which a star exhausts its hydrogen fuel and starts to evolve off the main sequence.
- Post-Main Sequence: Depending on their mass, stars transform into red giants, supernovae, white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes.
In young star clusters, we see many main-sequence stars and a few hot, massive stars just beginning to evolve into the next stages of their life. This combination of different stages helps astronomers to understand the lifecycle and evolution of stars better.