What term describes a ball of gas and dust that is gathering mass but has not yet begun nuclear fusion?
Answer
Protostar
Before a star begins the process of nuclear fusion, it exists as a rotating, condensing ball of dust and gas. At this early stage, the object is known as a protostar. It is in the process of accumulating mass from its surrounding cloud but has not generated enough internal heat or core density to sustain the fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium.
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