If stars can form from the explosion of other stars, then why doesn't all the matter in the universe collect together continuously and explode?

Pools of gases that are brought together by gravity to form stars are depicted on the NASA website through images taken with the Hubble telescope.

Hydrogen atoms begin to cling to one another in ever-increasing numbers while swirling in a vortex, much like water pouring down a drain. As the atoms come together, their mass builds, and they produce gravity that gets stronger the more atoms come together. Eventually, when the mass and gravity reach a certain point, a nuclear explosion is set off, which sets off millions of more explosions and results in the formation of a flaming ball of gas known as a star.

The closest star to our sun is Alpha Centauri, which is 4.2 light years away. If that star were to explode tomorrow, you would see a very large light in the sky and for days or weeks too, but the explosion would have absolutely no affect upon us. This is true throughout the universe. A light year is 9.3 trillion miles.

Not only do stars form by the explosion of other stars, but they also form by the gravitational collapse of clouds of gas and dust. Because matter is distributed unevenly throughout the universe, it cannot continuously accumulate and explode. Moreover, explosive tendencies are counteracted by gravitational forces, which keep many regions of space stable.