... Star Clusters . ... Stars@ESO . ... Which fundamental processes are responsible for transforming a dark and diffuse interstellar cloud of gas and dust into a much denser, shining object? ... Based on the most detailed study ever made of the internal structure of a small interstellar cloud, three scientists from ESO and the USA [1] have found that it is apparently on the verge of becoming unstable - and thus in the stage immediately preceding a dramatic collapse into a dense and hot, low-mass star. ...