Stages and Opposing Forces in the Life of a Star Stages and Opposing Forces in the Life of a Star Student’s Name: Institution: Course Details: Instructor’s Name: Date: Stages in the Life of a Star Generally, stars have transition stages in their lifetime, thus the whole concept being referred to as Stellar Evolution. Stars transit over a period of time through distinct stages in their lives. According to Tate (2009), the transition stage is defined by the initial mass of a star. Stage 1: Protostar Here, the initial collapse of a star occurs rapidly within a short spun of years. With the star heating up at extreme temperatures, it is characterized by the build up of pressure; hence, the outward pressure balances the inward gravitational pull closely through a condition referred as Hydrostatic Equilibrium.