What is the primary stellar remnant left after a low-to-intermediate mass star like the Sun evolves?
Answer
A dense, faint white dwarf
Stars similar in mass to our Sun follow a predictable evolutionary track after exhausting their core hydrogen fuel. They first expand into red giants, shedding their outer layers into space, which eventually form a visible planetary nebula. Once these outer layers dissipate, the remaining core cools down very slowly over immense timescales. This final, dense, compact object is known as a white dwarf, which gradually fades in luminosity as it radiates away its residual heat over eons.
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