What is the fundamental trade-off highlighted by comparing the Sun's lifespan to that of a massive star?
Answer
Greater core temperature buys spectacular luminosity but dramatically shortens the star's time on the main sequence.
Massive stars possess greater core temperatures which facilitate faster, more efficient fusion (like the CNO cycle), leading to spectacular luminosity but resulting in lifespans measured in millions of years, contrasting sharply with the Sun's 10-billion-year expectation.
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