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  • Released Thursday, June 5, 2014
  • Updated Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 12:35PM
  • ID: 11541

Dense regions of gas (bright areas) form extensive arms that circle the protostar (center).

Dense regions of gas (bright areas) form extensive arms that circle the protostar (center).

The protostar feeds on gas, but some material is far enough away to escape its gravitational pull.

The protostar feeds on gas, but some material is far enough away to escape its gravitational pull.

If a distant cloud of gas avoids fueling the protostar, its own gravity may cause it to coalesce into a gas giant.

If a distant cloud of gas avoids fueling the protostar, its own gravity may cause it to coalesce into a gas giant.



Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Cover image courtesy of ESO/L. Calçada



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