**A video of this model can be found here **
The birth of a star is a complex process which takes place in molecular clouds of the interstellar medium. The clouds (or diffuse nebulae) consist in a mixture of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionized gases. The interstellar material is enriched by heavy elements previously forged in the interior of stars and ejected at the end of their lives in the form of dense winds and supernova explosions. Dense regions within the clouds collapse and form new stars. For this reason, these spectacular nebulae are often referred as stellar nurseries or star-forming regions. The model is an artist’s view of one of these stellar nurseries.