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You are here: Home / Space / How Are Stars Born, How Are New Stars Formed From Clouds of Dust and Gases, and How Do We Detect New Stars?

How Are Stars Born, How Are New Stars Formed From Clouds of Dust and Gases, and How Do We Detect New Stars?

May 21, 2020 by Karen Hill

Space is full of clouds of dust and gases, known as nebulae.

The dust and gases in nebulae have a certain mass, and we know, from Newton’s law of gravity, that any object with mass attracts other objects to it.

The dust and gases are gradually pulled toward each other by the force of gravity.

In this early stage of creation, a star is called a protostar.

The protostar doesn’t look anything like what we think of as a star. It is too cold and loosely packed to give off any light.

Technically, it has been born, but its matter must first collapse under its own gravity and begin thermonuclear fusion before we would recognize it as a fully realized star.

Astronomers know about protostars because they radiate radio and infrared waves.

Related Facts

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  • If I Stopped Cleaning My House, Would It Fill Up Floor To Ceiling With Dust Eventually?
  • Where Does Dust Come From and Why Does Dust Reappear Right After Dusting or Vacuuming the House?
  • Is household dust the same as the cosmic dust that falls from outer space?
  • Who Discovered Nuclear Fusion and How does fusing two atomic nuclei into one atom release energy?
  • Why Does Gravity Try To Attract All Things To the Center of Earth?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Type of Matter Exists Between Galactic Superclusters and Why Is Dark Matter Undetectable By Astronomers?
Next Post: What Is a Protostar, How Are Protostars Formed, and How Do Protostars Become Stars After Millions of Years? »

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