Protostars

Protostars are young stars in the early stages of formation. They form inside dense, collapsing regions of gas and dust in space, called molecular clouds. As gravity pulls material inward, the core heats up, but nuclear fusion hasn’t started yet. Protostars emit mainly infrared light because of their heat. Over time, they gather more mass, and their cores become hot enough for nuclear fusion to begin, transforming them into fully developed stars. This process can take millions of years, and protostars are key objects for understanding star birth and evolution.