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A molecular cloud—sometimes called a stellar nursery if star formation is occurring within—is a type of interstellar cloud of which the density and size permit absorption nebulae, the formation of molecules (most commonly molecular hydrogen, H 2), and the formation of H II regions.
The following tables list molecules that have been detected in the interstellar medium or circumstellar matter, grouped by the number of component atoms.Neutral molecules and their molecular ions are listed in separate columns; if there is no entry in the molecule column, only the ionized form has been detected.
Interstellar clouds also provide a medium to study the presence and proportions of metals in space. The presence and ratios of these elements may help develop theories on the means of their production, especially when their proportions are inconsistent with those expected to arise from stars as a result of fusion and thereby suggest alternate ...
Elephant trunks (more formally, cold molecular pillars [1]) are a type of interstellar matter formations found in molecular clouds. They are located in the neighborhood of massive O type and B type stars , which, through their intense radiation, can create expanding regions of ionized gas known as H II regions .
In general then, molecules are found in cool astrophysical environments. The most massive objects in our galaxy are giant clouds of molecules and dust known as giant molecular clouds. In these clouds, and smaller versions of them, stars and planets are formed. One of the primary fields of study of molecular astrophysics is star and planet ...
A total of as many as 159 distinct clouds have been identified overall, of which various characteristics such as density, size, and mass are known; in addition, there are seven large H II regions, three supernova remnants, 45 T Tauri stars, 18 molecular jets, and as many as 215 infrared radiation sources, coincident with young stellar objects ...
This causes the cloud to wobble or oscillate in a manner like that of a large soap bubble or a water-filled balloon which is jiggled. In order for the cloud to become a star, gravity must gain the upper hand long enough to cause the cloud to collapse and reach a temperature and density where fusion can be sustained. When this happens, the much ...
The Taurus molecular cloud (TMC-1) is an interstellar molecular cloud in the constellations Taurus and Auriga. This cloud hosts a stellar nursery containing hundreds of newly formed stars. [ 2 ] The Taurus molecular cloud is only 140 pc (430 ly ) away from Earth, making it possibly the nearest large star formation region .