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Simply stated, stars burn out when they run out of fuel. Stars fuse lighter nuclei into heaver nuclei, and they will turn hydrogen into helium, and then turn helium into heavier elements toward the end of their life. Through what is called stellar nucleosynthesis, fusion continues to create heavier elements. And as the stars ages (stellar evolution), it will eventually reach a point where it is forming iron. This is where things get difficult for the star.

All the fusion reactions that create the elements up through iron release energy. Fusion reactions that create the trans-iron elements require energy to be put into the reaction. Where does this energy come from? Let's review the idea that the massive gravity of stars is always trying to cause them to collapse in on themselves. The energy released in fusion forces the material of the star outward, and these two forces struggle in equilibrium throughout the life of the star.

At the end of a star's life, if the star is sufficiently large, when it collapses because it is running out of fuel, it will supply enough energy in the collapse to cause the fusion of elements heavier than iron, and this is the supernova event. A star of insufficient mass will simply collapse and end up a white dwarf. Larger stars might go nova and end up as a white dwarf, a neutron star, or as a black hole (for the really big stars).

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10y ago
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5mo ago

Stars burn out when they exhaust their nuclear fuel, causing their core to collapse. This process can take billions of years or happen more rapidly, depending on the size of the star. Once the fuel is depleted, the star's outer layers are expelled into space, leaving behind a remnant such as a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.

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Q: When do stars burn out?
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Related questions

What Stars burn hydrogen?

All stars 'burn' hydrogen


What color are burning out stars?

Stars typically turn red before they burn out.


What makes stars other colors?

The color of the stars depend on how hot they burn.


Do different types of stars burn different fuel?

Yes, different types of stars burn different fuel. For example, yellow dwarf stars like our Sun primarily burn hydrogen into helium in their core. Red giant stars burn helium into heavier elements once they exhaust their hydrogen fuel. Massive stars can go on to burn even heavier elements like carbon, oxygen, and iron before reaching the end of their life cycle.


Can stars die?

yes because it can burn out


Do all-stars burn people?

* Facepalm *


What type of stars burn out faster?

Massive


What stars burn up hydrogen?

All main sequence stars fuse hydrogen.


If all-stars die then how are there constellations?

Constellations are imaginary patterns in the sky formed by stars. As some stars burn out, new stars form.


Stars primaily burn what element as fuel?

Hydrogen.


What are star made out of?

Stars are mainly made out of hydrogen, they use it to burn.


What Star burns its fuel the fastest?

Heavier stars will usually burn faster than lighter stars.