Stars are born from vast clouds of gas and dust called nebulae. Over time, the force of gravity pulls these particles together, causing the cloud to become denser and thus collapse onto itself. As the cloud collapses, a dense core, known as a protostar, forms at its center, which eventually heats up due to the pressure from the surrounding materials. Once the core temperature reaches a high enough level, nuclear fusion begins, converting hydrogen atoms into helium. This process releases tremendous amounts of energy and marks the birth of a new star.
Take on the role of a professional astronomer and describe the process of how stars are formed.