A Star’s Life

Stars, born of gas and dust, shine billions of years, die and return dust
to new stars.  In the glowing dusty cloud of the Orion Nebula hundreds of
stars are growing.  Dusty disks as large as solar systems swirl around very
young protostars.

As each star forms, some material pours from the disk onto the star and
some fires out vast distances as huge jets.  Within the disk, dust grains
clump, become rocks, then planets.  Mature stars, powered by nuclear
fusion, shine on for millions, even billions of years.

Before stars like our Sun die they expand into red giant stars, growing
large enough to engulf their companions.  In a deadly dance, this red giant
swallows its companion star. 

Pinched at the equator, gas escapes along the poles -- creating sculptures
of light in the sky—and returning dust to the next generation of stars.