No matter the fools, the history is writ. In particular, the orbiting instruments and telescopes have brought new data, new insights, and new puzzles. What follows are explications of some of the more important concepts and terms used by astrophysicists, presented in a brief consider- ation of star death.
All stars have a finite life, and one can therefore say they are all dying.
According to current concepts in astrophysics, the calculation of the life expectancy of a star is straightforward, involving an estimate of the amount of fuel a star has and the rate at which it consumes that fuel. The amount of fuel must be proportional to the mass of the star, and the rate at which the fuel is used up is taken as proportional to its luminosity. So, the lifetime T is proportional to the mass and inversely proportional to the luminosity. Studies of solar models indicate the Sun is presently 5 billion years old, and that it can last another 5 billion years before its fuel burns out. A star of 25 solar masses would have a lifetime of only about 3.2 million years.