When will the Stars Die Out? - What Makes It?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Nec
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the lifespan of stars, the processes that lead to their formation and eventual death, and the implications of these processes for the future of the universe. Participants explore the varying lifespans of different types of stars and the ongoing formation of new stars.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that stars are still being formed from clouds of gas, indicating that the universe is not yet finished creating stars.
  • It is suggested that larger stars burn out quickly, while medium-sized stars like the Sun have lifespans of about 10 billion years, and smaller stars can last significantly longer.
  • One participant estimates that even 50 billion years from now, there will still be some stars, particularly dim, slow-burning ones.
  • Another participant explains that all stars have a finite amount of fuel, leading to their eventual burnout, with larger stars having shorter lifespans compared to smaller stars.
  • There is a mention of the end stages of stars, such as the Sun becoming a white dwarf and eventually cooling into a ball of ash.
  • Participants express a light-hearted perspective on the future, suggesting that even if only dim stars remain, one could simply sit closer to them for warmth.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that stars have finite lifespans and that different types of stars have varying durations of existence. However, there is no consensus on the exact timeline for when all stars will die out, as some emphasize ongoing star formation while others focus on the eventual burnout of existing stars.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the complexities of stellar evolution, such as the specific conditions that affect star lifespans or the future state of the universe beyond the estimates provided.

Nec
Messages
50
Reaction score
0
How long, how come!

Can anyone tell me when the stars will die out ?
What makes it ?

Thanks
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Nec said:
Can anyone tell me when the stars will die out ?
What makes it ?

Thanks


Nec, there still are stars being formed.
We can see them condensing in clouds of gas
and beginning to glow

Nature has not yet finished making stars

it is still early to be talking about when will they all be dead.


But it is still possible to try to estimate when most will be dead.
the difficulty in saying is that the large hot bright stars burn out quickly
and the medium size stars like the Sun last a medium time like 10 billion years
and the little stars a quarter or a tenth the mass of the sun are dim and burn very slowly and last a very long time

So even 50 billion years from now there will probably be some stars

many will have burned out and grown cold
but there will still be dim slow-burning stars

perhaps you would like to prepare for the long wintertime.
If you want, I will sell you one of my stars, the small kind that burn for a very long time
 
Welcome to Physics Forums, Nec.
Stars form from clouds of mostly hydrogen. That hydrogen is the fuel for the fusion reaction that makes stars shine. Each star has a finite amount of fuel, so eventually, they run out. Like marcus said, a star like our sun lasts about 10 billion years before burning out. It's end stage will be a small "white dwarf star" that will simply cool off over billions of years into a ball of ash.
Larger stars burn brighter and have shorter lives. Smaller stars burn cooler and live longer.
Even 100 billion years from now, there will still be stars, but there will only be small, cool stars and the cooling remains of former bright stars. Eventually, long after that, even those stars will die out.
But no need to be gloomy...we live in a wonderfully warm/bright time now.
 
Phobos said:
But no need to be gloomy...we live in a wonderfully warm/bright time now.

yeah, no need to be gloomy, this is a very nice time.
Besides even if all you have left is a dim small star (the kind that burns very slow) all you need to do is sit closer to it!

If you are still worried, I will even give you one of my long-lasting stars for free. there are plenty
 

Similar threads

High School Question: Orbital mechanics of a binary star system
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Undergrad M31-2014-DS1, slow disappearance of a massive star
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
High School Is it possible for a giant star to have a black hole inside it?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
High School How well do we understand the formation of population III stars?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
Undergrad Why Does Gravity Remain when Star Mass Dissipates?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
High School Supernova Ejection: How Large Are the Chunks?
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K
High School How much of a star undergoes fusion?
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
5K
High School What keeps most galactic stars from falling into the centeral black hole?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
High School Star visible for longest time from Earth
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
High School Could the interstellar medium distort alien signals?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
722