The Stellar LifeHave you ever wondered where stars come from or what happens to them when they’re done shining? Just like us, stars have a life cycle—they’re born, they grow, and eventually, they die. But what happens during their stellar life is way more extreme than anything we experience! So buckle up, and let's take a wild ride through the life of a star!Stellar Nursery: The BeginningOur story begins in a place called a nebula. Think of it as the ultimate space baby factory! Nebulas are giant clouds of gas and dust, just floating around in space. They're the perfect place for stars to be born. Imagine you're in the middle of a swirling cloud—gravity starts pulling gas together, tighter and tighter, until—BAM!—a baby star is born! This stage is called a protostar.Main Sequence: The Star's Teenage YearsOnce a star gets going, it enters the longest part of its life: the Main Sequence stage. During this time, the star is basically adulting. It's burning hydrogen gas in its core to create energy, which makes it shine brightly for millions or even billions of years. Our very own Sun is a Main Sequence star! In fact, most of the stars you see twinkling in the night sky are in this stage. They're stable and living their best life.But not all stars are the same. Stars can be big or small, cool or hot, and this all depends on how much mass (or stuff) they have. The mass of a star is a big deal because it determines what happens next!