You won’t be able to spot blue stars with your naked eye, nor distinguish a star’s outer layers with a common telescope. There’s a lot happening in the night sky that you can’t see without highly specialized equipment. anatoliy_gleb / Shutterstock
When you look up at the night sky, you’re seeing just a small sample of the incredible variety of the types of stars in the universe. These cosmic powerhouses come in wildly different sizes, colors and life stages, each powered by nuclear fusion in its core.
The differences aren’t just for show; a star’s mass, temperature and age determine how it runs through its life cycle.