Evolution of the Sun: From Main Sequence to White Dwarf - HR Diagram Explained #3730239 (License: Personal Use)

This Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram traces the Sun’s life cycle, starting at the zero-age main sequence (~10 billion years ago), progressing through core hydrogen burning, the red giant phase (shell hydrogen burning), horizontal branch (core helium burning), and asymptotic giant branch (helium shell burning), ending as a white dwarf. Key milestones are annotated with timescales: core hydrogen burning lasts ~10 billion years, core helium burning ~100 million years, and the final asymptotic giant phase under 1 million years. The curve reflects increasing luminosity and decreasing surface temperature during expansion, then rising temperature during contraction.

Used in astronomy education, astrophysics textbooks, and science outreach websites to illustrate stellar evolution for Sun-like stars. Matches user intent for learners seeking visual understanding of how stars age, especially the Sun’s future, and supports curriculum topics like nuclear fusion, HR diagrams, and stellar endpoints.