Short Wave A Star Is Born ... And Then What? Journey Through The Life Cycle of a star
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Dec 6, 2023 Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance, known for her work on Betelgeuse, takes us on a stellar journey through the life cycle of stars. She discusses Betelgeuse's impending supernova and its dramatic fate, comparing it to the historical supernova of 1054 A.D. Nance also explores how a star's mass impacts its lifespan and the fascinating processes of star formation. Alongside captivating insights about winter constellations, she shares valuable life lessons learned from the chaotic yet beautiful existence of stars.
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Betelgeuse's Allure
- Sarafina El-Badry Nance recalls being drawn to Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation.
- Her interest began during her freshman year when she started studying the star.
Star Life Cycles
- A star's life cycle depends primarily on its mass, similar to how smaller dogs often live longer than larger dogs.
- Massive stars explode as supernovas, while smaller stars like our sun expand into red giants then fade into white dwarfs.
Star Birth
- Stars are born in giant molecular clouds, stellar nurseries where gas and dust clump together due to gravity.
- This forms protostars, which ignite fusion and become main sequence stars over millions of years.