stars evolve because of changes in their composition (the abundance of their constituent elements) over their lifespans, first by burning hydrogen (main sequence star), then helium (red giant star), and progressively burning higher elements. however, this does not by itself significantly alter the abundances of elements in the universe as the elements are contained within the star. later in its life, a low-mass star will slowly eject its atmosphere via stellar wind, forming a planetary nebula, while a higher–mass star will eject mass via a sudden catastrophic event called a supernova. the term supernova nucleosynthesis is used to describe the creation of elements during the explosion of a massive star or white dwarf.