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Star go boom when gases get too compressed!

More scientific:
Stars are comprised of gas Hydrogen, Helium, Oxygen are the main ones. Stars start out with practically all hydrogen that collects into a dense cloud of hydorgen. As that cloud of hydrogen gas becomes denser, and more massive (due to the amount of hydrogen) the gravitational forces between the hydrogen molecules cause the gas to start to contract toward a common center. The gas becomes denser as this collapse progresses until finally the temperature has risen to the point needed to cause fusion. This process then creates a radiation pressure that is equal to the gravitational force (pressure) that is trying to collapse the star as it is now even further.

As time goes on this star burns all of its hydrogen and then it can no longer balance the gravitational force and the collapse starts again. Until finally the temperature is great enough to cause helium atoms to fuse together to create oxygen. This process continues until the star can no longer support the inward forces of gravity.

At some point during this balancing act the star can undergo what may be termed as a helium flash and even an oxygen flash I believe. When this flash (explosion) takes place a tremendous amount of energy is released. Sometimes the star is so massive that as it collapses a catastrophic explosion takes place due to the gravitational collapse and "ignition" sudden fusen of a shell of hydrogen or helium or oxygen that the entire star ignites and explodes causing a supernovae, (less powerful ones are novae). This is where all matter in the Universe comes from. The tremendous pressures, heat and forces created in the star by this explosion forms all the heavier elements that make up everything from planets to us.

Sometimes the end product for a star that explodes is a neutron star. A really cool critter for sure.

This end fate for stars is for those between 1 and 3 solar masses. Anything greater will most likely end up a black hole or blowing itself apart like the others. Our sun will just swell up to a red giant engulfing the planets out past Jupiter, then shrink down to a white dwarf and the fade away to a dead, cold black object that is very dense and pretty useless.

That is a quick review from what I remember from my astronomy studies.

Nope, the smaller stars are formed the same way. Now sometimes the gases from the larger stars will collapse to form smaller stars. For example we have pictures of stellar nursery's where stars have formed and are forming. I'll find those and post them later on today.

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