What is the projected lifespan range for extremely common, cool Red Dwarfs?
Answer
Hundreds of billions to trillions of years
Red dwarfs represent the smallest and coolest stars and are characterized by being incredibly economical with their nuclear fuel supplies. Because they are low-mass, their cores operate at lower temperatures, leading to an extremely slow rate of hydrogen fusion. Consequently, theoretical models predict that these fuel-efficient stars possess lifespans stretching from hundreds of billions of years up to trillions of years. This projected longevity far exceeds the current estimated age of the universe (around 13.7 billion years), implying that every red dwarf ever formed is still actively existing today, effectively being brand new from a cosmic perspective.
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