The connection between a star's size and what happens to it at the end of its life is really important. Here’s a simple breakdown:

1. Types of Stars Based on Size:

   • Low-mass stars (less than 0.6 times the Sun's mass): These stars grow into red giants. After that, they lose their outer parts and create colorful clouds called planetary nebulae. What’s left is a white dwarf, which is a tiny, hot star.

   • Intermediate-mass stars (between 0.6 and 8 times the Sun's mass): These stars also become red giants, but they go through a stage where they burn helium. Sometimes, they explode in a spectacular event called a supernova. After this explosion, they can turn into either neutron stars or black holes.

   • High-mass stars (more than 8 times the Sun's mass): These stars quickly fuse different elements inside them. They end their lives with huge supernova explosions, which can create black holes.

2. Interesting Facts:

   • About 90% of all stars are low-mass stars.
   • High-mass stars can create elements all the way up to iron in their centers before they collapse.
   • Red giants can become more than 100 times bigger than the Sun before they lose their outer layers.

In short, the size of a star really matters in deciding what its future will be!