A star baby is called a protostar.
Protostars: The Early Stages of Star Formation
The formation of a star is a complex process that begins with the gravitational collapse of dense regions within molecular clouds. These regions, often referred to as stellar nurseries, contain vast amounts of gas and dust. As gravity pulls the material inward, it clumps together, eventually leading to the formation of a protostar.
The Formation Process
The formation of a protostar can be summarized as follows:
- Gravitational Collapse: Initially, gravity causes clumps to form within a molecular cloud.
- Heating Due to Friction: As the material collapses, friction generates heat, increasing the temperature of the core.
- Protostar Formation: The heated core eventually becomes a protostar, which is considered a "baby star" in its early stage of development.
Characteristics of Protostars
Protostars are not yet true stars because they have not initiated nuclear fusion in their cores. They are still accumulating mass from their surroundings and are characterized by:
- Relatively low surface temperatures.
- High luminosity due to the energy released from gravitational contraction.
- Surrounding disks of gas and dust, known as protoplanetary disks, which can eventually form planets.
From Protostar to Star
Over time, as the protostar continues to accrete mass, the temperature and pressure in its core increase. Eventually, the core becomes hot and dense enough to initiate nuclear fusion, the process that powers stars. At this point, the protostar officially becomes a main-sequence star.
