MadSci Network: Astronomy |
Star formation is very complicated. Stars form out of the stuff that exists between the stars (gas and very small solid grains of rocks and metals) usually in regions where lots of this material exists. Astronomers call these regions Giant Molecular Clouds. Often stars form in groups (clusters) out of these clouds. Star formation appears to be triggered by shock waves that hit the Giant Molecular Cloud. It is possible that stars form as single stars rather than in groups. But those stars are very hard to detect, so astronomers don't know too much about that type of star formation. If you want more information, I can give you more details on the character of the Giant Molecular clouds and on what can produce shock waves in space. Most of this information can be found in Introductory Astronomy books such as: Foundations of Astronomy by M. Seeds. [Moderator's note: you might also want to check out "Star Factories: the Birth of Stars and Planets", a new book by R. Jayawardhana.]
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Astronomy.