Protostar

A protostar is an early stage of a star's formation, occurring when a dense cloud of gas and dust in space begins to collapse under gravity. As it contracts, the material heats up, creating a hot, glowing core. This phase can last thousands to millions of years before nuclear fusion starts in the core, transforming the protostar into a fully developed star. Essentially, a protostar is a star in the making, gathering and heating material before it ignites the nuclear reactions that produce the light and energy characteristic of stars.