1. Stellar Birth Jade J Rachael H

2. Stages of Stars In the birth of a star there are seven stages in it’s formation. A star's life is a constant battle against gravity, and pressure support. That battle begins as soon as a molecular cloud begins to collapse into a protostar.

3. Interstellar Clouds Name given to an accumulation of gas, plasma and dust. Denser than the average region of interstellar medium.

4. Collapsing Cloud Fragment At this phase the cloud is very diffuse, so heat is not trapped so the temperature does not build up.

5. Fragmenting Ceases Several tens of thousands of years after the collapse of the cloud the center becomes opaque and the temperature rises greatly. The cloud typically begins to shrink in size and the appearance of a potostar can be seen at the center.

6. Protostar At this stage the cloud begins to collapse on its self increasing the temperature and causing it to contract.

7. Protostar Evolution As the protostar moves past stage four it moves closer to the main sequence. This stage is characterized by violent surface activity and strong protostellar winds.

8. Newborn Star The temperature has now become high enough for thermonecular fusion to begin This results in somewhat lower luminosity

9. Main Sequence The star contracts a bit more and enters into hydrostatic equilibrium. During the main sequence lifetime, the star achieves stability by gas pressure.