the effective gravity is diminished by the centrifugal force. The final shape of the star after star formation is an equilibrium shape, in the sense that the effective gravity in the equatorial region (being diminished) cannot pull the star to a more spherical shape. The rotation also gives rise to gravity darkening at the equator, as described by the von Zeipel theorem.

An extreme example of an equatorial bulge is found on the star Regulus A