💥 Stellar Evolution — From Nebula to Supernova

Follow a star's complete life from interstellar gas cloud to final remnant. Change the initial mass to watch completely different evolutionary paths — from quiet white dwarfs to explosive supernovae and black holes.

Evolution Controls

Initial mass (M☉) 1.0 M☉ Time (age Myr) 0 Myr

Current Stage

Star Properties

Temperature—

Luminosity—

Radius—

Stage—

Remn. mass—

HR Diagram — plotted on canvas
Main Seq: top-left to bottom-right diagonal
Giants: upper-right branch
White Dwarfs: lower-left
Color encodes temperature
Luminosity encodes radius

Stellar Evolution Physics

Stars are born when gravity compresses a molecular cloud until hydrogen fusion ignites at the core. A star spends most of its life on the main sequence — fusing hydrogen into helium at a rate determined by its mass. More massive stars are hotter, bluer, and far more luminous (L ∝ M^3.5), but burn through their fuel much faster (lifetime ∝ M^-2.5). When hydrogen runs out, the core contracts while the outer layers expand into a red giant or red supergiant. Stars below ~8 M☉ end as a planetary nebula and white dwarf. More massive stars end in a spectacular Type II supernova leaving either a neutron star or (above ~25 M☉) a black hole.