Stellar evolution is the process by which a star changes over the course of time. Depending on the mass of the star, its lifetime can range from a few million years for the most massive to trillions of years for the least massive. During its life, a star will pass through several stages, such as a protostar, main-sequence star, red giant and white dwarf. During each stage, different nuclear reactions take place in the core of the star, causing it to heat up or cool down and change in luminosity and size. Eventually, all stars will end their lives by either exploding as supernovae or collapsing into black holes.