The lifecycle of a star This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Interstellar Medium The total mass of gas and dust between stars

Stellar Nebulae A cloud of gas and dust where new stars are born

Protostar The birth of a star caused by the collapse of dense regions in a nebula due to gravity.

Main sequence star The longest, most stable period of a star’s life where it converts hydrogen to helium in its core, generating heat and light.

Red Giant As the core runs out of hydrogen and helium, the outer layers of the star expand, cool, and become a dimmer red colour.

Planetary Nebula Occurs at the end of a red giant’s life when the outer layers of the star start to drift off into space.

When a red giant collapses, its outer layers shed off and what remains is a very hot, dense star. White Dwarf

Giant star 100 times larger and 1000 times brighter than a normal main-sequence star of the same surface temperature

Red supergiant After the hydrogen in a giant star's core has been used up, they become the largest stars in the universe.

After the hydrogen in a giant star's core has been used up, they become the largest stars in the universe. Supernova

Black hole Click image for Brian Cox’s explanation of a Black Hole Created when a giant star undergoes a supernova, its an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravity.

If the mass of a supernova core is not large enough, it forms a star made entirely of neutrons instead of a black hole. Neutron star