STAR-FORMATION - SOME ISSUES THAT NEED ATTENTION

Scientific progress takes place at different velocities, the most spec tacular being inspired flashes of insight or unexpected new discoverie s. Next, is the creation of new conceptual structures and the explorat ion of their consequences. Lastly is the patient and systematic accumu lation of new information. Mendoza's discovery of infrared excesses in T Tauri stars clearly belongs in the first category because of its su rprise and because of its subsequent ramifications. Such spectacular d iscoveries cannot be planned or anticipated, so this paper deals with observational issues of the second kind: matters in the area of star f ormation (as we believe we understand it) that need straightening out, complications that remain unresolved, some questions that need more a ttention. These are: (1) star formation in very dense clusters, (2) yo ung stars far from any obvious birthplace, (3) the increasingly obviou s fact that not all stars are born equal, (4) how to fit stars like be ta Pic into the conventional picture of early stellar evolution, (5) t he optical detection of very young, very massive stars, and (6) 'flash ' and 'flare' stars: is there a distinction?