Last week you learned that the stages of a typical star are protostar, main sequence, red giant/supergiant and white dwarf/black hole. You also learned that the Big Bang helped spread heavier elements throughout the universe and that they are a part of galaxies and stars, even the Earth itself.

In this week you will learn about the history of our Sun, and what will happen to it in the future. You will also learn about how a star's mass affects its life cycle and the elements from which it is composed. Additionally, you will see how gravity and other forces shape and influence our solar system.

First, let's review the lifecycles of stars of different masses.