Star birth. Illustration of the formation of a star. At left is a nebula, an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. An area of an emission nebula (second from left) can collapse under its own weight, compressing material at its centre. This creates a protostar (centre). Material surrounding the protostar forms a rotating disk (second from right). Some of this material falls into the protostar, increasing its size. The continued compression raises the temperature at the core and eventually the temperature becomes high enough for nuclear reactions to begin. This produces a strong stellar wind (shooting from poles at right) that prevents new material falling into what is now considered a young star. | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / TIM BROWN |
Taille de l’image : | 8268 px × 2645 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |