*Stars form in massive, dense clouds of
molecular hydrogen called giant
molecular clouds
*Clouds are gravitationally unstable,
and matter coalesces into smaller,
denser clumps inside
*Clouds collapse and form stars
*This can give birth to planets under
the right circumstances
*Formation of planetary systems is
thought to be a natural result of star
formation
*The process is thought to take at
least 100 million years.

Star Formation