Protostar L1527 surrounded by nebulous matter

Some say stars are born, not made—and while that may apply to showbiz, in space it's a bit more complicated. Star formation is a long process of accumulating material bit by bit, condensing molecular clouds into extremely dense clumps that finally collapse into a protostar. This near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope is centered on protostar L1527, showing the nebulous matter it's drawing in from multiple directions via gravity—'feeding' on the gases and dust to grow larger. You may need to squint to see it, but that darker line bisecting the brightest point of the protostar is a protoplanetary disk: a ring of orbiting matter that could be the beginnings of a new planetary system.