Life cycle of a star

protostar

A large cloud of gas and dust with enough mass to form a star

main sequence

once the protostar compresses enough and gets hot enough, it becomes a main sequence star. (our sun)

red supergiant

For larger stars - it has exhausted its hydrogen fuel in its core and expanded in size

supernova

A gigantic explosion in which a massive star collapses and throws its outer layers into space

black hole

Occurs due to a large core - An object in space whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape.

neutron star

smaller core - the small, dense remains of a high-mass star after a supernova

pulsar

A rapidly spinning neutron star that produces radio waves

red giant

for smaller stars - A star that expands and cools once it runs out of hydrogen fuel

planetary nebula

A huge cloud of gas and dust that is created when the outer layers of a red giant star drift out into space

white dwarf

the blue-white hot core of a star that is left behind after its outer layers have expanded and drifted out into space

black dwarf

A white dwarf that has burnt out completely. theoretical, as the time it would take to form is longer than the known age of the universe