The main element from space that is pulled by gravity and turns into a protostar is hydrogen gas. In large clouds of gas and dust called nebulae, hydrogen atoms are pulled together by gravity. As the hydrogen gas collapses under gravity, it forms a dense core called a protostar. This protostar heats up as the gas contracts, eventually reaching temperatures where hydrogen fusion can begin and a star is born.
Details on Protostar Formation
- The gas and dust in space, mostly hydrogen, collect in nebulae, which can be many light-years across.
- Gravity pulls the hydrogen gas together, causing it to form a contracting ball of gas.
- The contracting gas releases gravitational energy as heat, warming the protostar.
- When the core temperature of the protostar reaches around 10 million Kelvin, hydrogen fusion starts and the protostar becomes a main sequence star.
Thus, hydrogen is the primary element from space drawn by gravity to form protostars, the precursors to stars.
