hydrostatic equilibrium
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Stellar Evolution Demystified
Whaddya know…after what seems like a geological age, we’re finally done with stellar evolution! And we’ve covered a truly ridiculous amount of information. We’ve covered a star’s relatively gentle, humble beginnings within the collapsing cores of giant molecular clouds (or…
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How Low-Mass Stars Die
When we talk about star death, we’re not really talking about death. We’re talking about the end of a functioning star. Astronomers tend to personify cosmic objects like stars, saying that they are born and die, when it’s more like…
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What are Variable Stars?
What if I told you that the “two” stars you see here are actually one and the same? This star, known as L Carinae after its location in the southern constellation Carina, is actually what we call a variable star.…
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How a Star Expands
Meet Betelgeuse, a bright star in the winter constellation Orion. Betelgeuse is a cool red supergiant that we’ll talk about a lot more in just a couple weeks, when we cover variable stars. Not too long ago, it was the…
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The Adult Life of a Star
Stars are like cars. They need fuel to go. And also like cars, they don’t have an infinite supply. But here’s where the metaphor breaks down. They can never refuel. Yup. That’s right. For their entire lives, stars are stuck…
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What is a “Normal” Star?
If we were talking about people, I’d say there’s no such thing as a “normal” person. We’re all weird in our own way — that’s what makes us unique and ourselves. However, there’s such a thing as a functional human…
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What Keeps a Star Stable?
All life as we know it has to maintain homeostasis — that is, keep internal goings-on regulated. Body temperature is just one example. Mammals can maintain a stable body temperature with no trouble. Reptiles have to bask in the sun…
