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White dwarf star
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White dwarf stars (circled) in globular cluster M4.The brightest stars in this field are yellow stars similar to the Sun; smaller, dim stars are red dwarfs.
Learn about the different types of stars categorized according to their mass and temperature - red dwarfs, red giants, supergiants, white, and brown dwarf stars
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of solar neighbourhood A Hertzsprung-Russell diagram plotting stars by absolute magnitude and spectral type, showing regions for main sequence stars, white dwarfs, giants, and supergiants, with color gradients from blue (hot and bright) to red (cool and dim). The Sun is marked along the main sequence. Diagram illustrating stellar evolution, showing how stars form from a nebula, then follow different paths based on mass: low- and medium-mass stars become red giants, then planetary nebulae, and end as white dwarfs; high-mass stars become red supergiants, explode as supernovae, and end as either neutron stars or black holes.
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1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
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White dwarf star: References & Edit History

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  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Article title updated for style. Nov 10, 2026
Modified link of Web site: Open Library Publishing Platform - Fanshawe College Astronomy - White Dwarfs. Sep 09, 2026
Add new Web site: National Geographic - White Dwarfs. Oct 17, 2025
Add new Web site: PNAS - Formation of high-field magnetic white dwarfs from common envelopes. Sep 05, 2025
Add new Web site: Physics LibreTexts - White Dwarf Stars. Jun 25, 2025
Add new Web site: University of Delaware - Department of Physics and Astronomy - White Dwarf Stars. Nov 29, 2024
Add new Web site: Open Library Publishing Platform - Fanshawe College Astronomy - White Dwarfs. Sep 20, 2024
Add new Web site: Frontiers - White Dwarfs as Physics Laboratories: Lights and Shadows. May 02, 2024
Add new Web site: The Nine Planets - White Dwarf Star Facts. Jan 19, 2024
Add new Web site: New Mexico State University - Department of Astronomy - White Dwarfs. Jun 16, 2023
Add new Web site: Harvard and Smithsonian - Center for Astrophysics - Neutron Stars and White Dwarfs. Mar 25, 2023
Add new Web site: Space.com - White dwarfs: Facts about the dense stellar remnants. Jan 13, 2023
Corrected display issue. Mar 05, 2019
Add new Web site: NASA - Imagine the Universe! - White Dwarfs. Feb 25, 2019
Media added. Apr 13, 2016
Add new Web site: ThinkQuest - White Dwarf. Nov 11, 2011
Article revised and updated. Apr 21, 2009
Added new Web site: National Geographic - Science - White Dwarf. Apr 16, 2009
Article revised and updated. Feb 20, 2009
Article revised and updated. Dec 28, 2007
Article revised and updated. Mar 09, 2007
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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