• Question: How are stars made

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      Asked by anon-289399 on 24 Mar 2021.
      • Photo: Jesko Koehnke

        Jesko Koehnke answered on 13 Mar 2021:

        Not an expert, but as far as I know a cloud of hydrogen becomes so massive that it collapses under its own gravity. This ultimately “ignites” the fusion reaction in a stars core, which prevents it from collapsing completely and gives us life.

      • Photo: Goetz Bucher

        Goetz Bucher answered on 15 Mar 2021:

        Stars form when a gas cloud (made up from hydrogen and helium gas) slowly contracts under its own gravity. In the center of the contracted gas cloud, the temperature and pressure gradually rises until it’s hot enough for nuclear fusion reactions to start. That’s when the contracted gas cloud starts to shine and is called a star.

      • Photo: Martin McCoustra

        Martin McCoustra answered on 15 Mar 2021:

        Stars start out as a big cloud of hydrogen atoms. Gravity pulls the gas together and it get warmer and warmer. Eventually, the gas is compressed by it’s own weight until nuclear fusion begins and the star lights up!

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