A young, pre-main sequence star less than 10 million years old that shows irregular variability, strong stellar winds, and often has an associated protoplanetary disk. These stars represent the final stages of stellar formation before settling onto the main sequence to begin stable hydrogen burning.
Named after the prototype star T Tauri in the constellation Taurus, discovered by John Russell Hind in 1852. The 'T' designation follows the variable star naming convention, and these stars were recognized as a distinct class of young stellar objects in the mid-20th century.
T Tauri stars are like cosmic toddlers learning to walk! They're still contracting and haven't figured out how to burn hydrogen steadily yet, so they throw stellar tantrums with unpredictable brightness changes, powerful winds, and sometimes even bipolar jets that can extend for light-years.
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