1. Stellar Nebula
A giant cloud of hydrogen gas and dust in space. Gravity pulls the dust and gas together. As the cloud collapses, it spins and heats up, eventually forming a protostar.
Average Star
Like our Sun. It fuses hydrogen into helium for billions of years.
~10 Billion YearsRed Giant
Hydrogen runs out. The core collapses, outer layers expand and cool.
Planetary Nebula
Outer layers drift away into space, creating beautiful clouds of gas.
White Dwarf
The hot, dense core remains. Roughly the size of Earth but very heavy.
Eventual fate: Black Dwarf (theoretical)
Massive Star
Burns fuel furiously hot and fast. Blue-white in color.
~10-50 Million YearsRed Supergiant
Expands to massive sizes (Jupiter's orbit!). Fuses heavier elements up to Iron.
Supernova
Iron core collapses instantly. A massive explosion brighter than a galaxy.
Neutron Star
High Mass
Dense city-sized ball of neutrons.
Black Hole
Extreme Mass
Gravity so strong light cannot escape.
Stellar Mass Simulator
Drag to change initial mass.
Sun-like Star
A stable yellow star. It will burn for about 10 billion years before turning into a Red Giant.
Time Travel Simulator
Select a star type and drag through time.
Main Sequence
Currently fusing hydrogen into helium. Stable and warm.
Did you know?
We are made of "star stuff." The hydrogen in your body comes from the Big Bang, but the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen were created inside stars. The iron in your blood was forged in the core of a dying star and scattered by a supernova!