what stage of life is the star HOPS-68 in

Answer 1

HOPS-68 is a young stellar object that is typically classified as a protostar or a young stellar object in the process of formation. Specifically, it is part of a region known as a molecular cloud where material is collapsing under gravity, leading to the formation of new stars. During this stage, the star is accumulating mass from its surrounding environment and has not yet reached the main sequence phase of stellar evolution, where it would begin to fuse hydrogen into helium in its core. The study of such objects helps astronomers understand the early stages of star formation and the conditions present in stellar nurseries.