What temperature must a collapsing core reach to ignite sustained hydrogen fusion?
Answer
Fifteen million degrees Celsius
The dramatic process of star birth hinges upon reaching critical conditions within the collapsing core of a molecular cloud. As gravity pulls matter inward over millions of years, the material becomes increasingly compressed, causing the temperature and pressure to rise dramatically. This infall continues until the core becomes sufficiently hot and dense—specifically reaching approximately fifteen million degrees Celsius—at which point sustained nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium commences, signaling the true birth of a new star.
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