Stellar process
Stellar Mass Loss
Throughout their lives, and especially near the end, stars shed mass in winds — driven by radiation pressure on spectral lines in hot, luminous stars, and on dust grains in cool giants and supergiants. Mass loss reshapes a star's fate, stripping envelopes and returning enriched gas to the interstellar medium.
Stars, stages & concepts
Across stellar astrophysics
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Asymptotic Giant Branch
- Associated withThe Asymptotic Giant Branch
- Associated withBetelgeuse
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.