Compared to low-mass red dwarfs, what is the approximate main sequence lifetime for high-mass stars (> 8 M☉)?

Answer

A few million years

Stellar lifespan is inversely proportional to stellar mass. Low-mass stars, such as red dwarfs (defined as $0.08 M_{ ext{Sun}}$ up to $0.5 M_{ ext{Sun}}$), sustain fusion at a very slow, dim rate, enabling them to exist for timescales far exceeding the current age of the universe—trillions of years. In stark contrast, stars designated as high mass (greater than eight times the Sun's mass, $ ext{gt } 8 M_{ ext{Sun}}$) possess cores that are millions of times hotter than the Sun's core. This intense internal heat drives an extremely rapid consumption of their hydrogen fuel supply, leading to main sequence lives that are brutally short, often lasting only a few million years before they move rapidly onto subsequent evolutionary stages.

Compared to low-mass red dwarfs, what is the approximate main sequence lifetime for high-mass stars (> 8 M☉)?

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