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What are the stages in the life of a high-mass star? Be able to describe each stage briefly

User Penone
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Final answer:

High-mass stars go through stages such as main sequence, red giant, supergiant, supernova, and either neutron star or black hole.

Step-by-step explanation:

High-mass stars go through several stages during their lifetime:

  1. Main Sequence: High-mass stars begin their lives on the main sequence, where they fuse hydrogen into helium in their cores through nuclear fusion.
  2. Red Giant: As the hydrogen fuel in the core starts to run out, the star's core contracts and its outer layers expand, causing the star to become a red giant.
  3. Supergiant: The red giant may evolve into a supergiant if its mass is high enough. Supergiants are extremely bright and can be thousands of times larger than the Sun.
  4. Supernova: High-mass stars end their lives in a spectacular explosion called a supernova. During a supernova, the star's core collapses and releases an enormous amount of energy, causing the outer layers of the star to be ejected into space.
  5. Neutron Star or Black Hole: Depending on the mass of the star, the core of the supernova can either become a neutron star or a black hole.

Example: A high-mass star with a mass of 20 times that of the Sun would follow this sequence of stages, but at a much faster pace compared to a lower mass star.

User Zenvelope
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