The formation of a star has a simple tale. A region of interstellar gas collapses under its own weight, eventually forming a dense protostar surrounded by a disk of gas and dust. The protostar and the disk rotate in the same plane, and often jets of gas stream from the poles of the protostar. Eventually, the protostar becomes dense enough and hot enough to be a true star, and a system of planets can form within the disk. While broadly true, the real origin of stars is more complex, particularly if protostars are part of binary or multiple systems.
