Caption: The stellar evolution of star in stellar mass range ∼ 0.9--8 M_☉ (e.g., the Sun) from the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase (i.e., the second red giant phase through thermal pulses (AKA helium shell flashes)---with ejected planetary nebulae---to the white dwarf phase.

Note the name planetary nebula originated in the 18th century because the closest, most obvious planetary nebulae are large enough to have a finite disk in a telescope and there greenish color made them look sort of like Uranus (FK-494; CK-329).

Credit/Permission: © David Jeffery, 2003 / Own work.
Image link: Itself.
Local file: local link: agb_white_dwarf.html.
File: Post-main-sequence file: agb_white_dwarf.html.