How long does star creation take from initial collapse to a fully ignited star like our Sun?
Answer
Millions of years
The process of turning raw cosmic material into a functional star is described as a slow affair when measured against the lifespan of stellar evolution stages. It requires millions of years for the initial gravitational collapse of a dense pocket within a molecular cloud to proceed all the way to the point where the core reaches the necessary temperature and pressure for thermonuclear fusion to begin, resulting in a fully ignited star. This contrasts with the Sun's total estimated age of about 4.6 billion years, which represents the duration the star has already been burning since ignition was achieved.
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