A protostar is a very young star that is still gathering mass from its parent molecular cloud.The protostellar phase is the earliest one in the process of stellar evolution. This animation shows how a star begins to form out of a nebula.. A nebula is a cloud of dust and gas, composed primarily of hydrogen (97%) and helium (3%). A protostar is a massive object that forms from the contraction of gas from a giant molecular cloud. Depending on the mass of the star, its lifetime can range from a few million years for the most massive to trillions of years for the least massive, which is considerably longer than the age of the universe.The table shows the lifetimes of stars as a function of their masses. Protostar: As the stellar material pulls tighter and tighter together, it heats up pushing against further gravitational collapse. A protostar is a small star that is still gathering its masses. Stellar evolution is the process by which a star changes over the course of time. A protostar must have 0.08 solar masses to become a star. Fusion heats the star, contracts the core and causes the star to emit light. The length of time all of this takes depends on the mass of the star. When the temperature of a protostar rises higher than 10,000,000 K, it becomes a true star. For a low mass star (i.e. This protostellar phase is the early stage of star formation. T-Tauri Stars : Once a protostar has become a hydrogen-burning star, a strong stellar wind forms, usually along the axis of rotation. When it forms enough masses it make a parent molecular cloud. This been the case, from the choices given, the correct statement about a protostar is; 5.the stage before a star becomes a main sequence star.

5.0 22 votes 22 votes Rate! The protostar is now considered a young star since its mass is fixed, and its future evolution is now set. Rate! A protostar … The amateur astronomy hobby contains words, labels, and technical terms that may seem be a little confusing for both beginners and the more experienced hobbyists. A protostar becomes a main sequence star when its core temperature exceeds 10 million K. This is the temperature needed for hydrogen fusion to operate efficiently. At this point, the object is known as a protostar. Protostars and the Nebula. Within a nebula, there are varying regions when gravity causes this dust and gas that of the Sun or lower), it lasts about 500,000 years. At this temperature, hydrogen fusion begins to happen. The more massive the star, the faster everything happens. Glossary of Astronomy Terms The universe is a large place full of wondrous and unimaginable things.