In the vast expanse of the cosmos, stars are born from the gravitational collapse of massive clouds of gas and dust. These stellar nurseries give birth to the luminous giants that light up the night sky, and over billions of years, they play a crucial role in shaping the universe.

The process begins when a region of space becomes particularly dense, with enough matter to overcome the outward pressure from the intense heat and radiation. Gravity takes over, pulling the gas and dust particles together, forming a protostar. As the protostar continues to gather material, its core heats up, and nuclear fusion ignites, turning hydrogen into helium in a brilliant burst of energy. This marks the birth of a star.

For most of a star's life, it fuses hydrogen into helium through a delicate balance of...