What is the typical mass range for stars creating planetary nebulae?
Answer
Low to intermediate mass stars, roughly 0.8 to 8 times the mass of our Sun.
The formation of a planetary nebula is a specific terminal evolutionary stage reserved for stars that fall within a defined intermediate mass bracket. Stars that evolve into planetary nebulae are those with masses situated between approximately 0.8 and 8 times the mass of our Sun. Stars significantly larger than this range typically end their lives through a more violent supernova explosion rather than the relatively slower process of atmospheric shedding that characterizes nebula formation. Stars much smaller than this range evolve much more slowly and differently at the end of their lives.
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