Real life 'Death Star' observed destroying planets in its own solar system

Stars shine by converting hydrogen into helium through nuclear fusion. Once a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, it expands into a red giant, which can convert helium into carbon. When helium is depleted, the red giant contracts into a white dwarf, a dense remnant of the star's core. The gravitational pull of a white dwarf is strong enough to disrupt nearby planets. Changes in a star's mass can alter its orbit, potentially causing planets to move closer and be torn apart by the white dwarf's gravity.

What process allows stars to shine by converting hydrogen into helium?

• Nuclear fission

• Nuclear fusion

• Chemical reaction

• Gravitational collapse

What happens to a star after it uses up its nuclear fuel?

• It remains unchanged

• It explodes as a supernova

• It turns into a red giant

• It becomes a black hole

What element do red giants convert helium into?

• Iron

• Nitrogen

• Oxygen

• Carbon

What is a characteristic of a white dwarf?

• It is extremely dense

• It is very large

• It is a source of new stars

• It has a weak gravitational pull

What can happen to a planet that orbits too close to a white dwarf?

• It remains unaffected

• It becomes a new star

• It is pushed away

• It disintegrates