The End Depends on Mass
A star’s death is determined almost entirely by its mass.
Low-Mass Stars: Gentle Endings
Stars like the Sun will:
Expand into a red giant
Shed outer layers, forming a planetary nebula
Leave behind a white dwarf
White dwarfs are incredibly dense and slowly cool over billions of years.
High-Mass Stars: Violent Deaths
Massive stars undergo a much more dramatic end:
Fuse heavier elements up to iron
Fusion stops producing energy
Core collapses
Star explodes as a supernova
Supernovae are among the most powerful events in the universe.
Neutron Stars & Black Holes
After a supernova:
If the core is moderately massive → Neutron star
If extremely massive → Black hole
A teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh billions of tonnes.
Why Star Deaths Matter
Star deaths:
Create heavy elements like gold and iron
Seed space with material for new stars
Shape galaxies
Everything heavier than hydrogen and helium was forged inside stars.
Key Takeaways
Stars die differently based on mass
Supernovae create heavy elements
Star death enables new star formation
We are made of star material