How Astronomers Know — Evidence Lab
Life Cycle of a Star
- Estimated time
- ~20 min
Saved locally on this device
Learning goals
- The mass of a star determines how it lives and how it dies. Low-mass stars go quietly; high-mass stars go out in a supernova.
- MS-ESS1-2 — Students relate orbital motion to gravity and distance.
Help & glossary
- Use the hint ladder before checking your answer — hints get more specific.
- Incorrect answers can be retried. Feedback explains why.
- Constructed responses (CER) are self-checked — nothing is sent to a server.
Question 1 of 2
Put these stages of a Sun-like star's life in the correct order, starting from its birth.
- Nebula (cloud of gas and dust)
- Protostar
- Main-sequence star
- Red giant
- Planetary nebula
- White dwarf
Sources
- Stars — NASA Science — NASA · NASA Science · Accessed 2026-09-01