A Starry Night
Insight into the stellar world.
Contrary to popular belief, stars do not stay static throughout their lives. A star matures as time goes on. Average stars eject their outer layers until their core is exposed. Now they have undergone the transformation to white dwarf. If a white dwarf is close to another star, it may steal some hydrogen to add to its' own surface, causing it to brighten and the surface to burst. It is now a nova. The stars continue to repeat this process, and once it gets relly large, it may explode completely (supernova). A supernova can leave behind neutron stars, (when the electrons and protons from a supernova join together and form a dense star) or black holes.