What are the immense clouds of gas and dust where stars originate called?
Answer
Nebula or molecular cloud
The genesis of a star initiates within vast regions of space characterized by cold, dark recesses filled with gas and dust. These structures are universally referred to as nebulae, or more specifically, molecular clouds, serving as the fundamental raw material—the stellar nurseries—from which stars are born. The journey from this diffuse cloud state to a stable star is a complex, multi-million-year process dependent on the cloud's ability to overcome internal resistance through gravitational collapse.
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