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Super red giant
Supergiants are the element factories of our universe. The nuclear fusion reactions occurring are H→ He, He→ C, C→ Ne, Ne→ O, O→ Si and Si→ Fe.
Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion is a super red giant. It is about 20 times as massive as the Sun. The lifetime of this type of star is relatively short by comparison with the Sun – millions of years as opposed to billions of years.
Acknowledgement: A. Dupree (CfA), R. Gilliland (STScI), NASA
Rights: A. Dupree (CfA), R. Gilliland (STScI), NASA
Published: 17 September 2009,Updated: 17 September 2009Size: 14.53 KB
