* Main Sequence Stars: Stars like our Sun spend the majority of their lives fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores. This process releases energy, creating the light and heat we experience.

* Red Giant Phase: When a star like the Sun runs out of hydrogen fuel in its core, it begins fusing helium into heavier elements. This causes the star to expand dramatically, becoming a red giant.

* White Dwarf Formation: Eventually, the red giant will shed its outer layers, leaving behind a dense, hot core called a white dwarf. This core is primarily composed of carbon and oxygen, and it slowly cools over billions of years.

The Sun is not massive enough to become a supernova or other more exotic stellar remnants.