How are stars made? Why do they form in clusters? Why does it take so long? Why are some stars larger than others? Finding the answers to these questions is no small challenge. It takes millions of years to make a star. That means we can’t just stake some cameras out in space and wait to compile the time-lapse footage. Basically, we have no way of watching actual stars grow from inception. And that’s why astrophysicists rely on simulations to try and figure out what’s really going on in the cosmos. The principle is simple: we know what a fully-grown…

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