The more mass a star has the shorter its life. Stars which are 40 times more massive than our Sun, continually mix hydrogen from the surface right down to the core, fusing hydrogen until it is almost entirely depleted throughout the star.
As soon as these massive stars run out of fuel in their core they start to burn heavier elements. When the star reaches iron they explode as supernova, ejecting material back into space. If the remaining core has a mass of more than about three times that of our Sun, nothing can stop the total collapse and the stellar remnant becomes a black hole.
This graphic will form part of the "The Living Universe" exhibition, to be displayed at the ESO Supernova.