Recipe for a Star
Ever wonder what the recipe is for those sparkly stars in the sky?
Well, we have outlined 5 easy steps (aka a broad overview) to make a star.
Step 1: A Dash of Gas and Dust
Stars are the accumulation of gas and dust (not exactly glitter and magic). This mixture of matter creates regions called ‘molecular clouds’. These are the building blocks of a star with its composition of atoms, molecules and, of course, a bunch of dust.
Step 2: Freak Out and Heat Up
Then the mixture will go through a turbulent period (like children running around after eating a box of sugar cookies). Over time, the region will start to collapse on itself and heat up in the process due to the law of physics. This law explains that when matter is squeezed, the density will increase and start to warm up.
Step 3: Set Timer to 50,000 Years
Once the region reaches “pre-stellar” (aka pre-star) status, the core is more defined for the star to form. This will be the center of the star. Over the next 50,000 years or so, the pre-star will contract and form. Afterward, a disk will take shape around the core as material spreads out to form poles, similar to how we have a north and south pole on Earth for our planet to have an axis to spin on.
Step 4: Roll Out and Set for 1,000 Years
The disk flattens out from the core due to spinning. The disk is mainly composed of gas, and as it matures, gas begins to come off what is now a “proto-star”. This is key because this facilitates the star growing bigger. Put the timer on for another 1,000 years or so for the remaining matter in the disk to either be expelled or accreted into the star.
Step 5: Remove Disk and Enjoy!
A star is born! Eventually, the star will no longer accrete from the disk (meaning the disk will no longer feed the star) and the disk will crumble and begin to orbit the star. This is how planets are created. For example, the planets in our solar system are the leftovers from the creation of the Sun!
Now when you go stargazing, you’ll have a bit of insight into how much time it took to make those shiny blips above your head.
Want to know more about stars?:
Stars are the most widely recognized astronomical objects and represent the most fundamental building blocks of galaxies.
A star the size of our Sun requires about 50 million years to mature from the beginning of the collapse to adulthood.
The most common type of star is a red dwarf. These stars are less than half of the sun’s mass and size. Red dwarfs burn very slowly, extending their lifespan to over 100 billion years.
Most of the stars you see in the night sky are bigger and brighter than the sun.
It takes millions of years for a star’s light to reach our eyes, meaning you are seeing stars from long ago. Looking at the night sky is like looking back in time 100,000 years.
