By Ron Cowen
Somewhere in the universe, in the dim recesses of a vast cloud of gas and dust, wisps of material are slowly coalescing onto a clump that has been growing for hundreds of thousands of years. Squeezed by gravity, hydrogen atoms deep within the clump suddenly fuse, igniting a fiery glow. A star is born.
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Over billions of years, star birth has illuminated countless galaxies and enriched the universe with the elements necessary for life. In the Milky Way, the energy shooting out of young stars pummels surrounding space, creating a tapestry of pillars, arcs, loops, and ripples. Yet for all the drama, scientists’ understanding of star formation remains sketchy. Thick cocoons of gas and dust hide most of the action.