The Life of a Star

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White Dwarfs - Shells of Their Former Selves

   White dwarfs are the still-burning carbon and helium cores of exploded red giants. They often accompany a planetary nebula, which is composed of the remnants of the exploded giant's outer surfaces. Ironically, planetary nebulae do not contain planets, nor do they produce them. They got their name thanks to the confusion of early astronomers. These astronomers were correct in their assumptions that the nebulae they were observing were of similar size to our solar system, but they were fooled by fuzzy areas of the nebulae that resembled planets. This remnant is referred to as a white dwarf and will only burn for five to ten thousand years. The nebula is only visible for a few tens of thousands of years. Most stars, our sun included, will come to this end.

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Photo Courtesy of Colby College