Stars are not created by anyone or anything; they form naturally due to a powerful force known as gravity.
Stars always form within galaxies. Inside galaxies, there are numerous fluffy clouds composed of gas and dust known as nebulae.
Gravity causes clumps to form in these fluffy clouds – similar to raisins in a cake. When one of these clumps begins to become solid, compact, and denser, its density increases. Density indicates how solid, firm, and cohesive a material is.
The core of these dense gas clumps also becomes increasingly hot, and when it reaches a certain temperature (millions of degrees), something extraordinary begins to happen inside. This is when hydrogen atoms come together to form helium.
(You may already know that atoms are tiny particles that make up all matter. All types of gases and dust in the universe, including ourselves, are formed by atoms combining together).
When hydrogen atoms combine to form helium, nuclear fusion occurs, releasing a tremendous amount of energy.
As hydrogen atoms fuse to create helium, a process known as nuclear fusion takes place. This process releases a significant amount of energy, marking the birth of a star.
The Life and Death of a Star
Like us, stars are born, live, and eventually die. The lifespan of a star depends on its mass at birth. Bright stars with smaller masses can live for an incredibly long time.
Our Sun is also a star. To date, it has existed for about 4.5 billion years and is currently in the middle of its overall lifespan. In the next 5 billion years, the Sun will continue to expand, but eventually, it will begin to fade and ultimately die. Its nuclear energy will cease, and it will remain as a cold remnant, like a burnt-out coal in the fireplace.
A dust nebula that will eventually form into a star in the spiral arms of a galaxy looks like this.
Stars that are heavier than our Sun have a much shorter lifespan. The heaviest stars live for only about 1 million years, but their deaths are spectacular and much more exciting than the quiet, gradual demise of Sun-like stars. They end their lives in a massive explosion, a phenomenon scientists refer to as a supernova.
We Are Made From Star Dust
Have you ever heard the saying “we are made from dust and ashes”? It is true! Inside a star, helium atoms combine to create carbon, which is the foundation of the chemical elements that make up our bodies and all life on Earth.
There are still many mysteries about the enigmatic lives of stars that we do not fully understand. Fortunately, we have powerful telescopes and satellites in space that allow us to capture increasingly clearer images of stars.
