How is a star born step by step?

A star is born within a molecular cloud, where regions of high density collapse under their own gravity, forming a protostar. As the protostar gathers mass, its core temperature rises until nuclear fusion ignites hydrogen into helium. This process releases energy, creating outward pressure that balances the gravitational pull, leading to a stable phase known as the main sequence. Over millions of years, the star continues to evolve, eventually exhausting its fuel and transitioning into later stages of stellar evolution.