Approximately how long does the journey take for a one solar mass star to reach the main sequence?
Answer
50 million years
The evolution pathway for a star comparable in mass to our Sun ($1 M_{ ext{sun}}$) requires a significant duration to complete its pre-main-sequence evolution. From the initial collapse phase within the molecular cloud structure until the moment the core achieves stable hydrogen fusion and settles onto the main sequence, the estimated timescale is approximately 50 million years. This long period encompasses the protostar phase and subsequent stages like the T Tauri phase, highlighting that the birth process is protracted relative to the subsequent stable burning phase of the star's life.
Related Questions
What are the immense clouds of gas and dust where stars originate called?What critical factor determines the duration of a star's cosmic incubation period?What external event can trigger the initial fragmentation and implosion of a dense core?What is the name given to the early, contracting object formed as infall gas heats up?Approximately how long does the journey take for a one solar mass star to reach the main sequence?How much faster is the formation time for high-mass stars ($>8 M_{ ext{sun}}$) compared to solar-mass stars?Which pre-main-sequence phase is marked by strong stellar winds and bipolar outflows?What energy form is created when gravitational potential energy of infalling gas converts during collapse?What core condition must be met to achieve the sustained state of a main-sequence star?What fraction of the Sun's active life ($ ext{ extasciitilde}10$ Billion Years) is accounted for by its formation period ($ ext{ extasciitilde}50$ million years)?