What stellar remnant is typically left behind by the Sun's quiet farewell, unlike the massive cousins?

Answer

A planetary nebula

The ultimate fate of a star is strongly dependent on its initial mass. Massive stars, those exceeding around 30 solar masses or falling into the O-type classification, end their lives violently as Type II supernovae, collapsing their iron cores to form either a neutron star or a black hole. In stark contrast, low-mass stars, such as our Sun (a G-type star), experience a far gentler demise. When the Sun exhausts its core fuel, it will not explode; instead, it will gently puff off its outer layers into space, forming a structure known as a planetary nebula, marking a relatively quiet departure compared to the explosive exit of its far more massive counterparts.

What stellar remnant is typically left behind by the Sun's quiet farewell, unlike the massive cousins?

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