#interstellar cloud

Bok Globule in the Thumbprint Nebula

An Emission-line star known as IRAS 12196-6300. Bok Globules are formed when interstellar clouds have no way to radiate the thermal energy that is created through contractions caused by gravity. The result are dense, dark blobs called Bok Globules that permit almost no light to pass through. 

“Located just under 2,300 light-years from Earth, this star displays prominent emission lines, meaning that the star’s light, dispersed into a spectrum, shows up as a rainbow of colors marked with a characteristic pattern of dark and bright lines. The characteristics of these lines, when compared to the “fingerprints” left by particular atoms and molecules, can be used to reveal IRAS 12196-6300’s chemical composition.

“Under 10 million years old and not yet burning hydrogen at its core, unlike the sun, this star is still in its infancy. Further evidence of IRAS 12196-6300’s youth is provided by the presence of reflection nebulae. These hazy clouds, pictured floating above and below IRAS 12196-6300, are created when light from a star reflects off a high concentration of nearby dust, such as the dusty material still remaining from IRAS 12196-6300’s formation” (European Space Agency).

‘Ulysses’ Examines Stream of Particles from Outside Solar System

From data collected by Ulysses spacecraft, more than 900 particles were collected allowing researchers to extract the most detailed information on mass, size, and flight direction of interstellar dust so far. Computer simulations helped to understand the various contributions of the Sun and the interplanetary field and to separate them.

Perpetually our solar system moves through the Milky Way.…