The Life of Stars

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The structure of the stars, particularly the Sun, has been a focal point of scientific research and debate for over a century. The advent of quantum theory in the early nineteenth century laid the groundwork for understanding stellar formation and energy sources. Progress in stellar structure theory emerged from extensive discussions among leading scientists and significant discoveries by astronomers. This exploration reveals how our comprehension of stars has developed through ongoing debate. It took nearly a hundred years for astrophysics to address key questions: What fuels the stars? How are they formed? How do they evolve and ultimately perish? The answers have significant implications across astrophysics, physics, and biology, influencing our understanding of existence itself. While many answers are known, the theory of stellar structure remains incomplete, with numerous unresolved questions, such as the mechanisms behind supernova explosions and various internal hydrodynamic processes. Nevertheless, overarching concepts can be outlined, which we aim to explore in this work.