Twinkle twinkle little stars, how I wonder what you are.

Stars twinkles in the nighttime but do star twinkling remains intact eternally? Stars are the self luminous celestial objects having mass of gas held together by force of gravity counteracted by outward thermonuclear reaction in its core. Several millions of stars are present in the galaxy of varying size and discrete surface temperature. The Sun is a nearest star to the earth and it categorizes into an intermediate star of our galaxy. Interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds are the precursor of star formation process. Density of interstellar medium is 0.1 to 1 particle per cm3 and contains 70% of hydrogen gas. This interstellar medium forms the cloud called nebula. In the denser region of nebula (100 particles per cm3), star formation takes place. The diameter of this cloud is approximately hundred light years (units for astronomical distances) furthermore mass of about six solar masses (current mass of the Sun). Gravity attempt to pull these particles together ensuing condensation. Eventually particle collisions after condensation attain core temperature of 15 million Kelvin triggering thermonuclear reaction where four hydrogen atoms fuse to helium atom releasing energy. This initiation is called Proto-star chronologically flows into main sequence star. Its appearance ranges from blue to red color corresponding to their masses. Surface temperature also contributes to star appearance. The more mass of star to start with, brighter and hotter it appears. Throughout its life, outward thermonuclear pressure is counteracting by inward condensing gravity. Heavier the star, more the fuel utilization for thermonuclear reaction against gravity, hence faster the fuel exhaustion followed by star obliteration. When hydrogen gas is completely exhausted, its thermonuclear reaction ceases. Hence gravity overtakes the star in absence of outward pressure. The condensation crushes the star ensuing increase in internal pressure and temperature, once again triggering the thermonuclear reaction counteracting the force of gravity. The shell of star is pushed outward expanding the star larger than its original size forming the red giant. Stars fate subsequent to red giant is nixing to initial mass of the star, demise of massive star having mass more than five times solar masses alter to medium star ranging from 0.4 to 1.44 solar masses. In red giant phase of medium star (such as our Sun), Helium atoms fuses to Carbon atom. The atomic structure of carbon is stable, hence cannot be compressed further by surrounding material. Since gravity follows inverse square law, crust hold is enervated as shell expands resulting in crust evaporation leaving back the core which is termed as White Dwarf. Here the inward force of gravity is balanced by electrostatic repulsive force of electrons. This hot core radiates the residual heat forming a cold dark mass called black dwarf. In the red giant phase of massive star, the outer layer swells to red supergiant. Gravity starts yielding the core and core starts shrinking. This results in hotter and denser core activating new series of nuclear reaction obstructing the collapse. Atoms in a core fuse to form iron atom ceasing the fusion. Star commences the final phase of gravitational collapse. Core temperature raises over 100 billion Kelvin. The pressure inside the supergiant forces the fusion of sub-atomic particles. Electrons fuse with protons developing the sphere of neutrons. Due to such a collapse, in-falling material cause to bounce back with a shock wave outwardly blasting away the surrounding material. Supernova happens leaving back its core as a remnant. This high density remnant is called as neutron star. This star is of few kilometers in diameter and having 1011

times gravitational field stronger than earth. Temperature inside the newly formed star is 1012 to 1013 Kelvin. Teaspoon of matter of neutron star weighs 5 x 1012 kgs. Its rotation period is 0.4 to 30 secs. This star is also called as light house of space because it has the intense gravity concentrating emitted radiation in a particular direction. A neutron star, also termed as pulsar, being a rotating object emits light in particular direction when observed from Earth appears as a pulse train with temporal interval. The escape velocity (a velocity attained by a body to escape the gravitational influence of the stellar object) of a neutron star is 100000 km per second which is about one third of speed of light. Crab Nebula in Taurus zodiac comprises of such pulsar whose rotation period is 33 milliseconds. If initial mass of massive star exceeds fifteen solar masses then gravity still compresses the matter in the neutron star. As escape velocity is inversely proportional to square root of radius of star, hence dimension is attaining where escape velocity exceeds the velocity of light (300000 kms per second) consequently light is trapped inside the star by gravity forming a black hole. The eccentric feature of black hole is its event horizon. As no information can outshine the event horizon, it makes external observer impossible to detect that event. Another strange feature of black hole is its singularity; terminologically it is a region where space time curvature becomes infinite. Singular region having infinite density have zero volume contains entire mass of the star. One more striking feature is that when object falls into the black hole; it experiences tidal forces or spaghettification. Here the gravitational force on the two different vertical points on the object differs drastically hence the object is torn apart. A theory proposed by Dr. Stephan Hawkings predicts that black holes also evaporate. A light particle, photon near the event horizon produces particle-antiparticle pair due to intense gravitational field. This antiparticle is dragged towards the black hole carrying away the particle forming black hole radiation. This antiparticle combines with black hole reducing its mass. As black hole loses its mass, the temperature raises increasing its rate of radiation. Hence it loses mass rapidly resulting disappearance of black hole. The remnant blown away in supernova shapes to form stars and planetary nebula where again new stars are reborn and the life cycle repeats.