The Lifecycle of Stars

Stars undergo significant changes at the end of their lifecycles, especially larger ones. Massive stars, over 20 times the mass of our sun, can collapse into black holes, while those slightly smaller can become neutron stars. Neutron stars have extremely dense cores, where protons and electrons have fused into neutrons due to immense pressure, resulting in a tiny, rapidly spinning mass about 10 miles in diameter. Their intense gravitational and magnetic fields enable the generation of radio waves, allowing astronomers to detect them as pulsars, despite their faint light.