What is the short-lived structure formed by a swollen star shedding its expanded outer envelope?
Answer
a planetary nebula
During the unstable, swollen state following helium exhaustion and attempted shell burning, a star begins to eject the vast, expanded outer layers of its material into the surrounding space. This expelled, glowing material forms a visually striking, but cosmically short-lived, structure. This beautiful, glowing shell of gas and plasma ejected by the dying star is specifically referred to as a planetary nebula, marking the immediate precursor stage before the hot central remnant solidifies as a white dwarf.
Related Questions
What physically supports a white dwarf against gravitational collapse?What is the initial mass range for stars that evolve into white dwarfs?How long is the main sequence phase for a star like our Sun?What is the approximate main sequence lifetime of a $2.47 M_{ ext{odot}}$ star?What occurs immediately after a solar-mass star exhausts its core hydrogen fuel?For stars up to $8 M_{ ext{odot}}$, what is the fate of the resulting carbon core material?What is the short-lived structure formed by a swollen star shedding its expanded outer envelope?How long does the planetary nebula phase last for Sun-like stars?What is the estimated time for a Sun-mass white dwarf to cool to $10,000 ext{ K}$?What is the estimated duration required for a white dwarf to become a theoretical black dwarf?