Protostar

Real World Example

Imagine trying to start a fire with damp wood; you have all the potential for a roaring blaze, but nothing has caught fire yet. This is similar to a protostar, which has all the ingredients for becoming a star but hasn't started nuclear fusion at its core. Just as the damp wood needs more heat to ignite, a protostar needs to reach a certain temperature and pressure in its core to kick off the nuclear reactions that will turn it into a full-fledged star.