Stellar physics · t ≈ 10 Gyr × M^−2.5 (solar units)
Main-Sequence Lifetime
Roughly how long a star burns hydrogen in its core, scaled from the Sun's ~10 billion years. Massive stars are prodigal — a two-solar-mass star lasts under two billion years — while red dwarfs last far longer than the present age of the universe.
Main-sequence lifetime1.7678Gyr
Formula: t ≈ 10 Gyr × M^−2.5 (solar units)
Worked example
With the default inputs, main-sequence lifetime evaluates to 1.7678 Gyr — 2 M☉ → ~1.8 Gyr. The validator recomputes this against the known value on every build, so the formula is checked, not asserted.
Highlights
- ›2 M☉ → ~1.8 Gyr
The physics behind it
Knowledge connections
- Associated withMain-Sequence Evolution
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.