answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

A main sequence star is a star that is fusing hydrogen in its core. Stars leave the main sequence when they run out of hydrogen and start to fuse heavier elements (starting with helium and finishing with iron).

The length of time a star remains on the main sequence depends on how massive the star is. The larger the star the more gravity it has and the tighter this gravity squeezes the core - this makes the core hotter and brings the hydrogen atoms closer together so the fusion process proceeds more rapidly.

Thus big stars will only spend a few tens of millions of years on the main sequence while stars the size of our sun will spend ten thousand million years on the main sequence, and smaller stars (red dwarf stars) will spend trillions of years fusing hydrogen.

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

The lifespan of a main sequence star is given by the relation:

T = 1 / M^2.5

Where T is time in solar lifetime (10^10 years) and M is mass in solar masses.

Therefore, T = 1 / 15^2.5 = ~0.001 solar years or 1.14755x10^7 years

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago

That varies a lot, depending mainly on the star's mass. The largest stars are very short-lived; they might stay on the main sequence for just a few million years. Stars the size of our Sun, somewhere in the middle (note, however, that our Sun is already in the top 10 percentile!) stay on the main sequence a few billion years; red dwarves - once again, depending on their exact mass - up to several trillion years.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

It depends on their mass. Low-mass stars last a lot longer than high-mass stars. A one-stellar-mass star like the Sun will probably last 10 billion years or so on the main sequence.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

Depending on the mass of the star, anywhere from millions to billions of years.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

It takes about 0.1 to 100 million years for the cloud to become a main sequence star.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

A red dwarf is a low mass star which "burns" hydrogen so slowly that they have lifetimes longer than the age of the universe (13.7 billion years.)

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago

From 10,000 years for the most massive stars (100 solar masses) up to 100 million years for the least massive stars (0.1 solar masses)

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago

10 billion years

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

Millions to maybe a few billion years.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: How long do main sequence stars live?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

What are the two stars that are not in the main sequence?

There are billions of stars that are not on the main sequence.


What are the stars in the main sequence?

The smallest stars in the main sequence are the stars with cooler surface temperatures.


How many stars are main sequence stars?

Of the stars you can see from Earth, 90% are in the main sequence.


Is most stars sequence stars?

"main sequence" is the tern.


Are most stars in our galaxy found in the main sequence?

Most of the stars in the universe are found on the main sequence. Stars fall off the main sequence when they begin to die.


About 90 of all stars are what kinds of stars?

main sequence stars , our sun is also a main sequence star


What percentage of stars are main sequence stars?

About 90% of the observed stars are on the main sequence. See related question


Are stars on the main sequence hot?

Main sequence stars include the hottest stars as well as the coolest ones.


What kind of stars are 90 of all Stars?

main sequence stars , our sun is also a main sequence star


Do red main sequence stars have the highest surface temperature?

No. They have the lowest temperatures on the main sequence. The hottest main sequence stars are blue.


Are there main sequence stars in the Milky Way?

Main sequence stars are found in all galaxies.


What is a diagonal band of stars on the H-R diagram?

Main sequence stars.