How much shorter is the main sequence lifespan of a star 50 times the mass of the Sun compared to the Sun?
Answer
Roughly 1000 times shorter
Although a star 50 times the mass of the Sun possesses 50 times the reservoir of hydrogen fuel, its core burns that fuel with extreme violence due to increased gravitational compression. This results in the 50 solar mass star exhausting its main sequence fuel in only about 10 million years. Since the Sun has an expected lifespan of approximately 10 billion years, the massive star lives approximately $10,000,000,000 / 10,000,000 = 1000$ times shorter on the main sequence. This dramatic shortening illustrates the inverse relationship between mass and longevity.
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