text: what is a name for a star that is about to die?   a main sequence (normal) star expands into a red giant near the end of its life. after the red giant stage, its final fate depends on its mass:  1. it may collapse into a white dwarf (which continues to shine for billions of more years) 2. it may collapse into a neutron star (also known as a pulsar) 3. it may collapse into a black hole