* Red dwarfs: These are the smallest and coolest main-sequence stars. They can live for trillions of years. This is because they burn their hydrogen fuel very slowly.
* Other dwarf stars:
* Orange dwarfs: Live for tens of billions of years.
* Yellow dwarfs (like our Sun): Live for about 10 billion years.
* White dwarfs: These are the remnants of stars like our Sun after they have exhausted their fuel. They are not actively burning, but slowly cool down over billions of years.
Why the difference in lifespan?
The key factor is how quickly a star fuses hydrogen into helium in its core. Smaller stars, like red dwarfs, have less gravity and therefore burn their fuel much more slowly. This results in much longer lifespans.
Important Note: The lifespan of a star is also influenced by its mass. More massive stars burn their fuel much faster and have shorter lifespans.
