What is the fate for low-mass stars (under $\sim 2.2 \, \text{M}_\odot$) after they exhaust core hydrogen and helium?
Answer
They eject outer layers as a planetary nebula, leaving a white dwarf
Low-mass stars evolve into red giants, fuse helium into carbon and oxygen, and conclude by ejecting their outer layers as a planetary nebula, leaving behind a dense, cooling white dwarf core.
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