Thread: star question.

Have we documented the "birth" or "death" of any stars? I know we have seen the "evidence" of collapse etc. I'm just looking to study up if anyone has suggestions. BTW sorry bout the posts I abandoned. Looking forward to learning/discussing with you all again

Star Birth:
Just as human birth is not an instantaneous process, neither is that of stars. We can, however, glimpse parts of the process.

Stars are generally born within GMCs (Giant Molecular Clouds), vast clouds of dust, gas and various complex and simple molecules. Localised gravitational collapse, often triggered by supernova explosions, spawns many stars within these clouds. A frequently illustrated example is one examined in detail by the Hubble Space Telescope.
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/guidry/violence/birth.html

The collapsing mass that will become a star heats up in the process, becoming a dull red sphere, visible as an infra-red source within the cloud. Since nuclear reactions have not yet been initiated this is known as a proto-star.

With further collapse the temperature at the centre increases to several million degrees and hydrogen fusion is initiated. The star has 'switched on'. This may be considered the point of stellar birth. The Trapezium stars in the Orion Nebula have only recently done this, being only a few hundred thousand years old: that is almost a few minutes ago in astronomical terms.
chandra.harvard.edu/press/00_releases/press_110900.html

Or there is a similar example here in Cassiopeia, where the trigger for the collapse is thought to have come from a single giant star:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4414481.stm

Star Death
Stars die, generally, in one of two ways: dramatically and suddenly, or slowly.

Stars substantially more massive than the sun end in a cataclysmic supernova. Lighter stars, after going through a red giant phase, just gradually fade away, ending life as white dwarves.

We have observed around 3,500 supernova, most of them in other galaxies.

Here's one that is on the brink of death and quite lovely about it.



Another that is well past it's death throes:



There are lots of images like these out there. Stars on all stages of life cycles.

So. The answer is yes.

awesome pictures. I have some questions but i'm gonna study up a little before i ask em. be back later in the day

http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/s...pageS_26M.html

Do you think this is a quality site ophiolite

thanks for the sites and pics guys. anything else you can like for me to read up on is welcome. thanks : P

Oops. I thought I had replied to this. I thought it was a reasonable introduction to the subject. I saw no errors in what was presented.

I am working on a list of useful astronomy related sites at present. I should be posting it in a week or two. Keep a look out for it.

thanks bud : P