Stellar Evolution Lab

From collapsing gas clouds to supernovae, from the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram to whole galaxies: explore how stars live, die and gather into clusters and spirals.

Initial mass 1.0 M☉

Time-lapse -

Readouts

Age-

Stage-

Luminosity-

Temperature-

Radius-

Spectral class-

Current mass-

Rate-

Hertzsprung–Russell diagram track so far

Interior core composition

Habitable zone planet orbit

Planet distance 1.00 AU

How it works

Main-sequence luminosity scales as L ∝ M^3.5, so lifetime t ≈ 10 Gyr · M^-2.5: a 10 M☉ star burns out in ~30 Myr while a 0.2 M☉ dwarf outlives the universe.
Below ~8 M☉ the envelope is shed as a planetary nebula leaving a white dwarf. Above ~8 M☉ the iron core collapses in a supernova, leaving a neutron star, or a black hole above ~20 M☉.
The timeline gives each stage equal screen time so brief phases stay visible; ages in the readouts are real. Click the timeline to scrub.

Educational approximation: scaling laws and hand-tuned tracks, solar metallicity, no rotation or binaries.