... AFGL 2591: A Massive Star Acts Up . ... The massive star is expelling outer layers of dust -laced gas as gravity pulls inner material toward the surface. AFGL 2591 is estimated to be about one million years old -- much younger than our own Sun 's 5 billion-year age -- and has created a nebula over 500 times the diameter of our Solar System in just the past 10,000 years. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ... Publications with keywords: star formation - AFGL 2591 - dust . ...