What critical factor determines the lifespan of a star on the main sequence?
Answer
How quickly it converts hydrogen fuel via nuclear fusion
The critical factor determining a star's lifespan is how rapidly it converts its hydrogen fuel reserves into energy through nuclear fusion, which is a direct trade-off with its temperature.
Related Questions
Which stellar color generally indicates a cooler surface temperature?What critical factor determines the lifespan of a star on the main sequence?Approximately how long might a massive blue star exhaust its core fuel compared to the Sun's benchmark?What characteristic do blue supergiants possess that drives their nuclear furnace at an almost unbelievable pace?What is the potential lifespan estimated for cool and dim red dwarfs?What is the primary obstacle for sustaining complex life around blue stars, even if they host planets in a habitable zone?Why do blue stars consume their fuel at a disproportionately higher rate than cooler, smaller stars?What is the color associated with the Sun in the context of stellar temperature comparison?What physical aspect dictates a star’s color?Why is finding a blue supergiant actively burning in its prime statistically less likely across the observable universe?