Scientists chart the stories of young stars — from being born to moving out

The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex looks like red orange and yellow gaseous clouds with bright shining stars within.

Scientists are building a better account of the lives of adolescent stars, starting from their births in collapsing clouds of cosmic gas and dust to the time they "fly the nest" and drift away from other young stars in their original clusters.

Studying these stellar timelines will help scientists better determine the ages of stars — and because age  is a fundamental parameter in astrophysics, it can ultimately offer  astronomers a clearer picture of how star systems, and even entire galaxies, evolve.