Key Takeaways:
- Stellar mass is the primary determinant of a star's characteristics, including core temperature, lifespan, and eventual demise.
- Modern space-based missions such as Kepler, CoRoT, and MOST are providing high-quality data on stellar interiors.
- Astronomers have employed various methods for decades to enhance understanding of stellar life cycles and energy generation.
- Available research includes a graphic explaining current advancements in stellar research.
Research has shown that a star’s mass dictates almost everything about the object, from the core temperature to how long the star lives and how it dies.
Astronomy: Roen Kelly
Today, data from state-of-the-art missions like the Kepler space telescope, the Convection, Rotation and Planetary Transits satellite, and the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars project are providing scientists with unprecedented information about stellar interiors. But astronomers have been using other methods to better understand the stars in our sky for decades, and they’ve learned a lot about the life cycles of various types of stars and what makes them shine. Check out the article below, “What makes stars tick?” to see a graphic explanation of the latest in stellar research.
