What Makes Some Stars Explode, and Others Just Fizzle Out?

Stars are like giant fireballs in the sky. Some of them end their lives with a big boom, like fireworks going off, that's called a supernova. Others just slowly burn out and become small, cold stars called white dwarfs. It all depends on how much stuff the star has inside it.

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  1. A big star is like a giant firework that explodes with a loud boom.
  2. A small star is like a tiny lightbulb that slowly burns out and turns cold.
  3. If the star has a friend, it might explode even more powerfully.

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