Astronomy › Section P · Stars from adolescence to old age › Topic P.5
Evolution of more massive stars
The Big Bang made almost nothing but hydrogen and helium, yet Earth is rich in oxygen, silicon and iron. Those elements were forged in massive stars, which live fast, swell into supergiants and fuse element after element until their cores fill with iron.
In this topic
- A problem of ingredients
- Living fast
- Worked example: how long does a 20-solar-mass star last?
- Supergiants on the H-R diagram
- Worked example: blue and red supergiants
- Fusing beyond carbon
- Each stage faster than the last
- An onion with an iron heart
- The origin of the elements
- Generations of stars
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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