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  1. Star | Definition, Light, Names, & Facts | Britannica

    Oct 27, 2025 · This article describes the properties and evolution of individual stars. Included in the discussion are the sizes, energetics, temperatures, masses, and chemical compositions of stars.

  2. Brightest Stars, Constellations & Galaxies - Britannica

    A star is any massive self-luminous celestial body of gas that shines by radiation derived from its internal energy sources. Of the tens of billions of trillions of stars composing the observable universe, only a …

  3. Star - Formation, Evolution, Lifecycle | Britannica

    Oct 27, 2025 · Star - Formation, Evolution, Lifecycle: Throughout the Milky Way Galaxy (and even near the Sun itself), astronomers have discovered stars that are well evolved or even approaching …

  4. Evolution and classification of stars | Britannica

    Stars vary greatly in brightness (magnitude), colour, temperature, mass, size, chemical composition, and age. In nearly all, hydrogen is the most abundant element.

  5. The Life Cycle of a Star - Encyclopedia Britannica

    Oct 27, 2025 · Stars begin their life cycle in molecular clouds. These clouds contain dense clumps of gas and dust, which can collapse under their own gravity to form protostars. The collapse is often …

  6. List of brightest stars | Sirius, Alpha Centauri, Magnitudes ...

    These are the 26 brightest stars as seen from Earth, listed in descending order of brightness. The list includes each star’s apparent magnitude and constellation (except for the Sun).

  7. Star - Mass, Age, Luminosity | Britannica

    Oct 27, 2025 · Star - Mass, Age, Luminosity: Some of the most important generalizations concerning the nature and evolution of stars can be derived from correlations between observable properties and …

  8. Astronomy - Star Formation, Evolution, Processes | Britannica

    Nov 14, 2025 · Stars as massive as this will have luminosities about one million times greater than that of the Sun. A general model of star formation and evolution has been developed, and the major …

  9. Star - Fusion, Hydrogen, Nuclear | Britannica

    Oct 27, 2025 · Only the hottest stars that lie on the main sequence shine with energy produced by the carbon cycle. The faint red dwarfs use the proton-proton cycle exclusively, whereas stars such as the …

  10. Astronomical map - Star Names, Designations | Britannica

    Astronomical map - Star Names, Designations: Of approximately 5,000 stars visible to the unaided eye, only a few hundred have proper names, and fewer than 60 are commonly used by navigators or …