Star
A star is a massive, self-luminous sphere of plasma held together by its own gravity. It shines by converting hydrogen into helium through nuclear fusion in its core, releasing energy across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Stars form in large clouds of gas and dust—called nebulae—where regions collapse under gravity, creating protostars. When core temperatures reach millions of degrees, fusion ignites, marking the birth of a star. Observatories like Hubble and missions such as NASA’s Infrared telescopes have imaged this process in action.
The majority (~90%) of stars are main-sequence stars, fusing hydrogen into helium. These include a broad range of masses—from red dwarfs (small, long-lived, faint) to blue giants and supergiants (massive, hot, and short-lived). Our Sun is a middle-aged G-type main sequence star.
As stars exhaust their hydrogen fuel, their evolution depends on mass. Lower-mass stars become red giants then white dwarfs. More massive stars undergo successive fusion stages, end in supernova explosions, and leave behind neutron stars or black holes.
Stars vary in brightness, size, and color. They are classified using spectral types (O, B, A, F, G, K, M) based on surface temperature and absorption lines. For example, O- and B-type stars are hot and blue; M-type are cool and red.
Stellar remnants include white dwarfs (Earth-sized cores of former stars), neutron stars (city-sized remnants of supernovae), and black holes (extreme-density objects from the most massive stars).
Stars are not static—many rotate, exhibit magnetic activity (like sunspots and flares), and broadcast stellar winds. Their lifecycle enriches the interstellar medium with heavier elements, seeding future generations of stars and planets.
Stars often exist in groups—binary or systems within star clusters and galaxies. Their properties are studied via brightness, spectra, parallax, variability, and statistical surveys by missions like Gaia and Kepler.
Sources
APODs including "Star"
Sagittarius Triplet
9 September 2004
These three bright nebulae are often featured in telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius and the view toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. In fact, 18th century cosmic tourist Charles Messier cataloged two of them; M8, the nebula above and left of center, and colorful M20 at the lower left. The third, NGC 6559, is at the right of M8, separated from the the larger nebula by a dark dust lane. All three are stellar nurseries about five thousand light-years or so distant. The expansive M8, over a hundred light-years across, is also known as the Lagoon Nebula while M20's popular moniker is the Trifid. In this gorgeous digital composition, the dominant red color of the emission nebulae is due to glowing hydrogen gas energized by the radiation of hot, young stars. The contrasting blue hues, most striking in the Trifid as well as NGC 6559, are due to dust reflected starlight.