white dwarf
A white dwarf is the remnant core of a star that has exhausted its nuclear fuel and shed its outer layers, often becoming part of a planetary nebula. Typically, white dwarfs are about the size of Earth but packed with mass, making them incredibly dense. They shine due to residual heat, gradually cooling over billions of years. Eventually, they will fade and no longer emit light, becoming a cold, dark object. White dwarfs represent the final stage in the life cycle of stars similar to our Sun, playing a key role in the evolution of galaxies.
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A white dwarf is a small, dense star that remains after a medium-sized star, like our Sun, has burned out its nuclear fuel. When these stars exhaust their nuclear reactions, they shed their outer layers, leaving behind a hot core. This core, the white dwarf, is incredibly dense and about the size of Earth, but contains much more mass. Over time, it will cool and fade away, eventually becoming a cold, dark "black dwarf." White dwarfs are important for understanding stellar evolution and the fate of stars in the universe.