What are the primary components dominating interstellar clouds where stars begin to form?
Answer
Molecular hydrogen and helium
Vast reservoirs known as interstellar clouds or nebulae are complex mixtures dominated by molecular hydrogen and helium, along with trace amounts of heavier elements and dust grains.
Related Questions
What are the primary components dominating interstellar clouds where stars begin to form?What is the key condition required within localized pockets of an interstellar cloud to begin the star formation process?What fundamental force acts as the engine driving the initial transformation from a diffuse cloud segment into a star?What external event is mentioned as capable of triggering the gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud segment?During the initial gravitational collapse of a star-forming clump, what form of energy conversion powers the event?How is a protostar fundamentally defined in relation to energy generation?Since protostars are often deeply shrouded by dust, through which type of radiation are they typically observed by astronomers?Compared to its later main sequence life, how does the total energy release of a low-mass star's contraction phase compare per unit mass?Approximately what core temperature must a protostar reach to initiate sustained nuclear fusion?What process officially marks the moment a protostar graduates to a true, self-sustaining star?