Star Life Cycles - Interstellar Clouds

Stars and Nebulae

Index

Interstellar Clouds
Classes of Objects
Gas Giant Planets
Brown Dwarfs
Red Dwarfs
Sun-sized Stars
Large Stars
The Largest Stars
Impossible Stars
Star Clusters
Planetary Systems
Rocky Planets
An Endless Cycle


Questions
Credits
Links

Michael Gallagher
August 2002
July 2007

Initial image: Hubble Space Telescope
Animation: Michael Gallagher

When interstellar dust clouds condense, objects with a great range of sizes are formed - from the largest, brightest stars down to planets and asteroids.

Interstellar dust clouds condense to form clusters of stars. The stars remain in the cluster, long after the original cloud disperses.