carbon stars

Carbon stars are late-stage stars that have a higher concentration of carbon in their outer layers than oxygen. This imbalance causes the formation of carbon compounds that give the stars a distinctive reddish appearance. They often have an expanded, pulsating size and are very bright in the infrared spectrum. These stars are important for understanding stellar evolution, as they contribute to enriching the universe with carbon and other heavy elements through stellar winds. Carbon stars are typically found on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase and serve as key markers in the life cycle of low- to intermediate-mass stars.