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id="toc-Cloud_formation_and_destruction-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Star_formation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Star_formation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Star formation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Star_formation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Types_of_molecular_cloud" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Types_of_molecular_cloud"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Types of molecular cloud</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Types_of_molecular_cloud-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Types of molecular cloud subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Types_of_molecular_cloud-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Giant_molecular_clouds" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Giant_molecular_clouds"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.1</span> <span>Giant molecular clouds</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Giant_molecular_clouds-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Small_molecular_clouds" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Small_molecular_clouds"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.2</span> <span>Small molecular clouds</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Small_molecular_clouds-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-High-latitude_diffuse_molecular_clouds" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#High-latitude_diffuse_molecular_clouds"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.3</span> <span>High-latitude diffuse molecular clouds</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-High-latitude_diffuse_molecular_clouds-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-List_of_molecular_cloud_complexes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#List_of_molecular_cloud_complexes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>List of molecular cloud complexes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-List_of_molecular_cloud_complexes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" 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type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 61 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-61" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">61 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekul%C3%AAre_wolk" title="Molekulêre wolk – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Molekulêre wolk" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9_%D8%AC%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%A9" title="سحابة جزيئية – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="سحابة جزيئية" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-an mw-list-item"><a href="https://an.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boira_molecular" title="Boira molecular – Aragonese" lang="an" hreflang="an" data-title="Boira molecular" data-language-autonym="Aragonés" data-language-local-name="Aragonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Aragonés</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nube_molecular" title="Nube molecular – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Nube molecular" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekulyar_bulud" title="Molekulyar bulud – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Molekulyar bulud" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A3%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95_%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%98" title="আণবিক মেঘ – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="আণবিক মেঘ" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8F%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B5_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Малекулярнае воблака – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Малекулярнае воблака" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8F%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BA" title="Молекулярен облак – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Молекулярен облак" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bs mw-list-item"><a href="https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekularni_oblak" title="Molekularni oblak – Bosnian" lang="bs" hreflang="bs" data-title="Molekularni oblak" data-language-autonym="Bosanski" data-language-local-name="Bosnian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bosanski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BAvol_molecular" title="Núvol molecular – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Núvol molecular" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekul%C3%A1rn%C3%AD_mra%C4%8Dno" title="Molekulární mračno – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Molekulární mračno" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molek%C3%BClwolke" title="Molekülwolke – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Molekülwolke" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekulipilv" title="Molekulipilv – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Molekulipilv" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9C%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BA%CF%8C_%CE%BD%CE%AD%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%82" title="Μοριακό νέφος – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Μοριακό νέφος" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nube_molecular" title="Nube molecular – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Nube molecular" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekula_laino" title="Molekula laino – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Molekula laino" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1_%D9%85%D9%88%D9%84%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C" title="ابر مولکولی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="ابر مولکولی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuage_mol%C3%A9culaire" title="Nuage moléculaire – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Nuage moléculaire" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ga mw-list-item"><a href="https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A9al_m%C3%B3il%C3%ADneach" title="Néal móilíneach – Irish" lang="ga" hreflang="ga" data-title="Néal móilíneach" data-language-autonym="Gaeilge" data-language-local-name="Irish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Gaeilge</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nube_molecular" title="Nube molecular – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Nube molecular" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B6%84%EC%9E%90%EC%9A%B4" title="분자운 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="분자운" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%84%D5%B8%D5%AC%D5%A5%D5%AF%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%AC%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AB%D5%B6_%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%BA" title="Մոլեկուլային ամպ – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Մոլեկուլային ամպ" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B2" title="आणविक बादल – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="आणविक बादल" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekulski_oblak" title="Molekulski oblak – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Molekulski oblak" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awan_molekul" title="Awan molekul – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Awan molekul" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nube_molecolare" title="Nube molecolare – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Nube molecolare" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A2%D7%A0%D7%9F_%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%A8%D7%99" title="ענן מולקולרי – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="ענן מולקולרי" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-jv mw-list-item"><a href="https://jv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awan_molekul" title="Awan molekul – Javanese" lang="jv" hreflang="jv" data-title="Awan molekul" data-language-autonym="Jawa" data-language-local-name="Javanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Jawa</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ka mw-list-item"><a href="https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%9B%E1%83%9D%E1%83%9A%E1%83%94%E1%83%99%E1%83%A3%E1%83%9A%E1%83%A3%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98_%E1%83%A6%E1%83%A0%E1%83%A3%E1%83%91%E1%83%94%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98" title="მოლეკულური ღრუბელი – Georgian" lang="ka" hreflang="ka" data-title="მოლეკულური ღრუბელი" data-language-autonym="ქართული" data-language-local-name="Georgian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ქართული</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lb mw-list-item"><a href="https://lb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molek%C3%BCllewollek" title="Moleküllewollek – Luxembourgish" lang="lb" hreflang="lb" data-title="Moleküllewollek" data-language-autonym="Lëtzebuergesch" data-language-local-name="Luxembourgish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lëtzebuergesch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekulinis_debesis" title="Molekulinis debesis – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Molekulinis debesis" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BA" title="Молекуларен облак – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Молекуларен облак" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ml mw-list-item"><a href="https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%A4%E0%B4%A8%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AE%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B0%E0%B4%BE_%E0%B4%AE%E0%B5%87%E0%B4%98%E0%B4%82" title="തന്മാത്രാ മേഘം – Malayalam" lang="ml" hreflang="ml" data-title="തന്മാത്രാ മേഘം" data-language-autonym="മലയാളം" data-language-local-name="Malayalam" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>മലയാളം</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-xmf mw-list-item"><a href="https://xmf.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%9B%E1%83%9D%E1%83%9A%E1%83%94%E1%83%99%E1%83%A3%E1%83%9A%E1%83%A3%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98_%E1%83%9B%E1%83%A3%E1%83%9C%E1%83%90%E1%83%A4%E1%83%90" title="მოლეკულური მუნაფა – Mingrelian" lang="xmf" hreflang="xmf" data-title="მოლეკულური მუნაფა" data-language-autonym="მარგალური" data-language-local-name="Mingrelian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>მარგალური</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awan_molekul" title="Awan molekul – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Awan molekul" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mn mw-list-item"><a href="https://mn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8B%D0%BD_%D2%AF%D2%AF%D0%BB" title="Молекулын үүл – Mongolian" lang="mn" hreflang="mn" data-title="Молекулын үүл" data-language-autonym="Монгол" data-language-local-name="Mongolian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Монгол</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moleculaire_wolk" title="Moleculaire wolk – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Moleculaire wolk" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%88%86%E5%AD%90%E9%9B%B2" title="分子雲 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="分子雲" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekylsky" title="Molekylsky – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Molekylsky" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pnb mw-list-item"><a href="https://pnb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C_%D8%A8%D8%AF%D9%84" title="مالیکولی بدل – Western Punjabi" lang="pnb" hreflang="pnb" data-title="مالیکولی بدل" data-language-autonym="پنجابی" data-language-local-name="Western Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>پنجابی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ob%C5%82ok_molekularny" title="Obłok molekularny – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Obłok molekularny" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuvem_molecular" title="Nuvem molecular – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Nuvem molecular" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nor_molecular" title="Nor molecular – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Nor molecular" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8F%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE" title="Молекулярное облако – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Молекулярное облако" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-si mw-list-item"><a href="https://si.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%AB%E0%B7%94%E0%B6%9A_%E0%B7%80%E0%B6%BD%E0%B7%8F" title="අණුක වලා – Sinhala" lang="si" hreflang="si" data-title="අණුක වලා" data-language-autonym="සිංහල" data-language-local-name="Sinhala" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>සිංහල</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_cloud" title="Molecular cloud – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Molecular cloud" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekul%C3%A1rny_mrak" title="Molekulárny mrak – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Molekulárny mrak" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekularni_oblak" title="Molekularni oblak – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Molekularni oblak" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ckb mw-list-item"><a href="https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%BE%DB%95%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C_%DA%AF%DB%95%D8%B1%D8%AF%DB%8C" title="ھەوری گەردی – Central Kurdish" lang="ckb" hreflang="ckb" data-title="ھەوری گەردی" data-language-autonym="کوردی" data-language-local-name="Central Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>کوردی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekularni_oblak" title="Molekularni oblak – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Molekularni oblak" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekularni_oblak" title="Molekularni oblak – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Molekularni oblak" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekyylipilvi" title="Molekyylipilvi – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Molekyylipilvi" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molekylmoln" title="Molekylmoln – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Molekylmoln" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kab mw-list-item"><a href="https://kab.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asignew_axeclawan" title="Asignew axeclawan – Kabyle" lang="kab" hreflang="kab" data-title="Asignew axeclawan" data-language-autonym="Taqbaylit" data-language-local-name="Kabyle" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Taqbaylit</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%86%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%A5" title="เมฆโมเลกุล – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="เมฆโมเลกุล" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li 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<div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Type of interstellar cloud</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist 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0.4em;text-align:left;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6em;font-size:105%}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title-c{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:center;margin:0 3.3em}@media(max-width:640px){body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .sidebar a>img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks plainlist"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title"><a href="/wiki/Star_formation" title="Star formation">Star formation</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:LH_95.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/LH_95.jpg/145px-LH_95.jpg" decoding="async" width="145" height="155" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/LH_95.jpg/218px-LH_95.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/LH_95.jpg/290px-LH_95.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3622" data-file-height="3877" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Object classes</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Interstellar_medium" title="Interstellar medium">Interstellar medium</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Molecular cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bok_globule" title="Bok globule">Bok globule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dark_nebula" title="Dark nebula">Dark nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Young_stellar_object" title="Young stellar object">Young stellar object</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protostar" title="Protostar">Protostar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pre-main-sequence_star" title="Pre-main-sequence star">Pre-main-sequence star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/T_Tauri_star" title="T Tauri star">T Tauri star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Herbig_Ae/Be_star" title="Herbig Ae/Be star">Herbig Ae/Be star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Herbig%E2%80%93Haro_object" title="Herbig–Haro object">Herbig–Haro object</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Theoretical concepts</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Accretion_(astrophysics)" title="Accretion (astrophysics)">Accretion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Initial_mass_function" title="Initial mass function">Initial mass function</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jeans_instability" title="Jeans instability">Jeans instability</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kelvin%E2%80%93Helmholtz_mechanism" title="Kelvin–Helmholtz mechanism">Kelvin–Helmholtz mechanism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nebular_hypothesis" title="Nebular hypothesis">Nebular hypothesis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_migration" title="Planetary migration">Planetary migration</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Star_formation" title="Template:Star formation"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Star_formation" title="Template talk:Star formation"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Star_formation" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Star formation"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>A <b>molecular cloud</b>—sometimes called a <b>stellar nursery</b> if <a href="/wiki/Star_formation" title="Star formation">star formation</a> is occurring within—is a type of <a href="/wiki/Interstellar_cloud" title="Interstellar cloud">interstellar cloud</a> of which the density and size permit <a href="/wiki/Absorption_nebula" class="mw-redirect" title="Absorption nebula">absorption nebulae</a>, the formation of molecules (most commonly <a href="/wiki/Molecular_hydrogen" class="mw-redirect" title="Molecular hydrogen">molecular hydrogen</a>, H<sub>2</sub>), and the formation of <a href="/wiki/H_II_region" title="H II region">H II regions</a>. This is in contrast to other areas of the <a href="/wiki/Interstellar_medium" title="Interstellar medium">interstellar medium</a> that contain predominantly <a href="/wiki/Ionized_gas" class="mw-redirect" title="Ionized gas">ionized gas</a>. </p><p>Molecular hydrogen is difficult to detect by infrared and radio observations, so the molecule most often used to determine the presence of H<sub>2</sub> is <a href="/wiki/Carbon_monoxide" title="Carbon monoxide">carbon monoxide</a> (CO). The ratio between CO <a href="/wiki/Luminosity" title="Luminosity">luminosity</a> and H<sub>2</sub> <a href="/wiki/Mass" title="Mass">mass</a> is thought to be constant, although there are reasons to doubt this assumption in observations of some other galaxies.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Within molecular clouds are regions with higher density, where much dust and many gas cores reside, called clumps. These clumps are the beginning of star formation if gravitational forces are sufficient to cause the dust and gas to collapse.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Research_and_discovery">Research and discovery</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Research and discovery"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Henk-van-de-hulst.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Henk-van-de-hulst.jpg/250px-Henk-van-de-hulst.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="326" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Henk-van-de-hulst.jpg/330px-Henk-van-de-hulst.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Henk-van-de-hulst.jpg 2x" data-file-width="405" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption>Astronomer Henk van de Hulst first theorized hydrogen could be traceable in interstellar space using radio signals.</figcaption></figure> <p>The history pertaining to the discovery of molecular clouds is closely related to the development of <a href="/wiki/Radio_astronomy" title="Radio astronomy">radio astronomy</a> and <a href="/wiki/Astrochemistry" title="Astrochemistry">astrochemistry</a>. During <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>, at a small gathering of scientists, <a href="/wiki/Hendrik_C._van_de_Hulst" title="Hendrik C. van de Hulst">Henk van de Hulst</a> first reported he had calculated the <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_line" title="Hydrogen line">neutral hydrogen atom</a> should transmit a detectable <a href="/wiki/Radio_wave" title="Radio wave">radio signal</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:3_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:3-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This discovery was an important step towards the research that would eventually lead to the detection of molecular clouds. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:JanskyatAntenna_hi.tif" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/JanskyatAntenna_hi.tif/lossy-page1-220px-JanskyatAntenna_hi.tif.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="167" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/JanskyatAntenna_hi.tif/lossy-page1-330px-JanskyatAntenna_hi.tif.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/JanskyatAntenna_hi.tif/lossy-page1-440px-JanskyatAntenna_hi.tif.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3259" data-file-height="2478" /></a><figcaption>Jansky and his rotating directional radio antenna (early 1930s), the world's first radio telescope.</figcaption></figure> <p>Once the war ended, and aware of the pioneering radio astronomical observations performed by <a href="/wiki/Karl_Guthe_Jansky" title="Karl Guthe Jansky">Jansky</a> and <a href="/wiki/Grote_Reber" title="Grote Reber">Reber</a> in the US, the Dutch astronomers repurposed the dish-shaped antennas running along the Dutch coastline that were once used by the Germans as a warning radar system and modified into <a href="/wiki/Radio_telescope" title="Radio telescope">radio telescopes</a>, initiating the search for the <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_spectral_series" title="Hydrogen spectral series">hydrogen signature</a> in the depths of space.<sup id="cite_ref-:3_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:3-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:4_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:4-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The neutral hydrogen atom consists of a <a href="/wiki/Proton" title="Proton">proton</a> with an <a href="/wiki/Electron" title="Electron">electron</a> in its orbit. Both the proton and the electron have a <a href="/wiki/Spin_(physics)" title="Spin (physics)">spin property.</a> When the spin state flips from a parallel condition to antiparallel, which contains less energy, the atom gets rid of the excess energy by radiating a <a href="/wiki/Spectral_line" title="Spectral line">spectral line</a> at a frequency of 1420.405 <a href="/wiki/Hertz" title="Hertz">MHz</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:3_3-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:3-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>This frequency is generally known as the <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_line" title="Hydrogen line">21 cm line</a>, referring to its <a href="/wiki/Wavelength" title="Wavelength">wavelength</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Radio_spectrum" title="Radio spectrum">radio band</a>. The 21 cm line is the signature of <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_atom" title="Hydrogen atom">HI</a> and makes the gas detectable to astronomers back on earth. The discovery of the 21 cm line was the first step towards the technology that would allow astronomers to detect compounds and molecules in interstellar space.<sup id="cite_ref-:3_3-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:3-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Green_Banks_-_Ewen-Purcell_Horn_Antenna_info.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Green_Banks_-_Ewen-Purcell_Horn_Antenna_info.jpg/220px-Green_Banks_-_Ewen-Purcell_Horn_Antenna_info.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Green_Banks_-_Ewen-Purcell_Horn_Antenna_info.jpg/330px-Green_Banks_-_Ewen-Purcell_Horn_Antenna_info.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Green_Banks_-_Ewen-Purcell_Horn_Antenna_info.jpg/440px-Green_Banks_-_Ewen-Purcell_Horn_Antenna_info.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3665" data-file-height="2455" /></a><figcaption>Plaque commemorating the discovery of 21-cm radiation from the Milky Way</figcaption></figure><p> In 1951, two research groups nearly simultaneously discovered radio emission from interstellar neutral hydrogen. <a href="/wiki/Harold_Irving_Ewen" title="Harold Irving Ewen">Ewen</a> and <a href="/wiki/Edward_Mills_Purcell" title="Edward Mills Purcell">Purcell</a> reported the detection of the 21-cm line in March, 1951. Using the radio telescope at the Kootwijk Observatory, Muller and <a href="/wiki/Jan_Oort" title="Jan Oort">Oort</a> reported the detection of the hydrogen emission line in May of that same year.<sup id="cite_ref-:4_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:4-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:LeidenObservatory1961c.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/LeidenObservatory1961c.jpg/220px-LeidenObservatory1961c.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="183" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/LeidenObservatory1961c.jpg/330px-LeidenObservatory1961c.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/LeidenObservatory1961c.jpg/440px-LeidenObservatory1961c.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3962" data-file-height="3304" /></a><figcaption>Left to right: Jan Oort, Hendrik C. van de Hulst, Pieter Oosterhoff. Jan Oort had a pivotal role in the research that lead to the discovery of molecular clouds.</figcaption></figure> <p>Once the 21-cm emission line was detected, radio astronomers began mapping the neutral hydrogen distribution of the <a href="/wiki/Milky_Way" title="Milky Way">Milky Way</a> Galaxy. Van de Hulst, Muller, and Oort, aided by a team of astronomers from Australia, published the Leiden-Sydney map of neutral hydrogen in the galactic disk in 1958 on the <a href="/wiki/Monthly_Notices_of_the_Royal_Astronomical_Society" title="Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a>. This was the first neutral hydrogen map of the <a href="/wiki/Galactic_disc" title="Galactic disc">galactic disc</a> and also the first map showing the spiral arm structure within it.<sup id="cite_ref-:4_4-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:4-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Following the work on atomic hydrogen detection by van de Hulst, Oort and others, astronomers began to regularly use radio telescopes, this time looking for <a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">interstellar molecules</a>. In 1963 Alan Barrett and Sander Weinred at <a href="/wiki/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology" title="Massachusetts Institute of Technology">MIT</a> found the emission line of <a href="/wiki/Hydroxyl_radical" title="Hydroxyl radical">OH</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Supernova" title="Supernova">supernova</a> remnant <a href="/wiki/Cassiopeia_A" title="Cassiopeia A">Cassiopeia A</a>. This was the first radio detection of an interstellar molecule at radio wavelengths.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> More interstellar OH detections quickly followed and in 1965, Harold Weaver and his team of radio astronomers at <a href="/wiki/University_of_California,_Berkeley" title="University of California, Berkeley">Berkeley</a>, identified OH emissions lines coming from the direction of the <a href="/wiki/Orion_Nebula" title="Orion Nebula">Orion Nebula</a> and in the constellation of <a href="/wiki/Cassiopeia_(constellation)" title="Cassiopeia (constellation)">Cassiopeia</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:4_4-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:4-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 1968, Cheung, Rank, Townes, Thornton and Welch detected <a href="/wiki/Ammonia" title="Ammonia">NH₃</a> inversion line radiation in interstellar space. A year later, Lewis Snyder and his colleagues found interstellar <a href="/wiki/Formaldehyde" title="Formaldehyde">formaldehyde</a>. Also in the same year <a href="/wiki/George_Robert_Carruthers" title="George Robert Carruthers">George Carruthers</a> managed to identify <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen" title="Hydrogen">molecular hydrogen</a>. The numerous detections of molecules in interstellar space would help pave the way to the discovery of molecular clouds in 1970.<sup id="cite_ref-:4_4-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:4-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Horn_Antenna-in_Holmdel,_New_Jersey_-_restoration1.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Horn_Antenna-in_Holmdel%2C_New_Jersey_-_restoration1.jpg/250px-Horn_Antenna-in_Holmdel%2C_New_Jersey_-_restoration1.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="173" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Horn_Antenna-in_Holmdel%2C_New_Jersey_-_restoration1.jpg/330px-Horn_Antenna-in_Holmdel%2C_New_Jersey_-_restoration1.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Horn_Antenna-in_Holmdel%2C_New_Jersey_-_restoration1.jpg/500px-Horn_Antenna-in_Holmdel%2C_New_Jersey_-_restoration1.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2793" data-file-height="2197" /></a><figcaption>Penzias and Wilson with the <a href="/wiki/Holmdel_horn_antenna" class="mw-redirect" title="Holmdel horn antenna">Holmdel horn antenna</a> used to detect microwave emissions from the Big Bang</figcaption></figure> <p>Hydrogen is the most abundant species of atom in molecular clouds, and under the right conditions it will form the H<sub>2</sub> molecule. Despite its abundance, the detection of H<sub>2</sub> proved difficult. Due to its symmetrical molecule, H<sub>2</sub> molecules have a weak rotational and vibrational modes, making it virtually invisible to direct observation. </p><p>The solution to this problem came when <a href="/wiki/Arno_Allan_Penzias" title="Arno Allan Penzias">Arno Penzias</a>, Keith Jefferts, and <a href="/wiki/Robert_Woodrow_Wilson" title="Robert Woodrow Wilson">Robert Wilson</a> identified <a href="/wiki/Carbon_monoxide" title="Carbon monoxide">CO</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Star_formation" title="Star formation">star-forming</a> region in the <a href="/wiki/Omega_Nebula" title="Omega Nebula">Omega Nebula</a>. Carbon monoxide is a lot easier to detect than H<sub>2</sub> because of its rotational energy and asymmetrical structure. CO soon became the primary tracer of the clouds where star-formation occurs.<sup id="cite_ref-:4_4-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:4-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 1970, Penzias and his team quickly detected CO in other locations close to the <a href="/wiki/Galactic_Center" title="Galactic Center">galactic center</a>, including the giant molecular cloud identified as <a href="/wiki/Sagittarius_B2" title="Sagittarius B2">Sagittarius B2</a>, 390 <a href="/wiki/Light-year" title="Light-year">light years</a> from the galactic center, making it the first detection of a molecular cloud in history.<sup id="cite_ref-:4_4-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:4-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This team later would receive the Nobel prize of physics for their discovery of <a href="/wiki/Microwave" title="Microwave">microwave emission</a> from the <a href="/wiki/Big_Bang" title="Big Bang">Big Bang</a>. </p><p>Due to their pivotal role, research about these structures have only increased over time. A paper published in 2022 reports over 10,000 molecular clouds detected since the discovery of Sagittarius B2.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Occurrence">Occurrence</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Occurrence"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Barnard_68.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Barnard_68.jpg/220px-Barnard_68.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="220" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Barnard_68.jpg/330px-Barnard_68.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Barnard_68.jpg/440px-Barnard_68.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4193" data-file-height="4193" /></a><figcaption>Molecular cloud <a href="/wiki/Barnard_68" title="Barnard 68">Barnard 68</a>, about 500 ly distant and 0.5 ly in diameter</figcaption></figure> <p>Within the <a href="/wiki/Milky_Way" title="Milky Way">Milky Way</a>, molecular gas clouds account for less than one percent of the volume of the <a href="/wiki/Interstellar_medium" title="Interstellar medium">interstellar medium</a> (ISM), yet it is also the densest part of it. The bulk of the molecular gas is contained in a ring between 3.5 and 7.5 <a href="/wiki/Parsec#Parsecs_and_kiloparsecs" title="Parsec">kiloparsecs</a> (11,000 and 24,000 <a href="/wiki/Light-year" title="Light-year">light-years</a>) from the center of the Milky Way (the Sun is about 8.5 kiloparsecs from the center).<sup id="cite_ref-ferriere2001_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ferriere2001-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Large scale CO maps of the galaxy show that the position of this gas correlates with the spiral arms of the galaxy.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> That molecular gas occurs predominantly in the spiral arms suggests that molecular clouds must form and dissociate on a timescale shorter than 10 million years—the time it takes for material to pass through the arm region.<sup id="cite_ref-williamsandblitz_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-williamsandblitz-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Violent_birth_announcement_from_an_infant_star.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Violent_birth_announcement_from_an_infant_star.jpg/220px-Violent_birth_announcement_from_an_infant_star.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="101" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Violent_birth_announcement_from_an_infant_star.jpg/330px-Violent_birth_announcement_from_an_infant_star.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Violent_birth_announcement_from_an_infant_star.jpg/440px-Violent_birth_announcement_from_an_infant_star.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3951" data-file-height="1820" /></a><figcaption>Circinus molecular cloud has a mass around 250,000 times that of the Sun.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p>Perpendicularly to the plane of the galaxy, the molecular gas inhabits the narrow midplane of the galactic disc with a characteristic <a href="/wiki/Scale_height" title="Scale height">scale height</a>, <i>Z</i>, of approximately 50 to 75 parsecs, much thinner than the warm <a href="/wiki/Atom" title="Atom">atomic</a> (<i>Z </i>from 130 to 400 parsecs) and warm <a href="/wiki/Ion" title="Ion">ionized</a> (<i>Z </i>around 1000 parsecs) gaseous <a href="/wiki/Interstellar_medium#Interstellar_matter" title="Interstellar medium">components of the ISM</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The exceptions to the ionized-gas distribution are <a href="/wiki/H_II_region" title="H II region">H II regions</a>, which are bubbles of hot ionized gas created in molecular clouds by the intense radiation given off by <a href="/wiki/OB_star" title="OB star">young massive stars</a>; and as such they have approximately the same vertical distribution as the molecular gas. </p><p>This distribution of molecular gas is averaged out over large distances; however, the small scale distribution of the gas is highly irregular, with most of it concentrated in discrete clouds and cloud complexes.<sup id="cite_ref-ferriere2001_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ferriere2001-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="General_structure_and_chemistry_of_molecular_clouds">General structure and chemistry of molecular clouds</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: General structure and chemistry of molecular clouds"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Molecular clouds typically have <a href="/wiki/Interstellar_medium" title="Interstellar medium">interstellar medium</a> densities of 10 to 30 <span class="texhtml">cm<sup>−3</sup></span>, and constitute approximately 50% of the total interstellar gas in a <a href="/wiki/Galaxy" title="Galaxy">galaxy</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:Dominik_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Dominik-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Most of the gas is found in a <a href="/wiki/Molecule" title="Molecule">molecular state</a>. The visual boundaries of a molecular cloud is not where the cloud effectively ends, but where molecular gas changes to atomic gas in a fast transition, forming "envelopes" of mass, giving the impression of an edge to the cloud structure. The structure itself is generally irregular and filamentary.<sup id="cite_ref-williamsandblitz_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-williamsandblitz-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Cosmic_dust" title="Cosmic dust">Cosmic dust</a> and <a href="/wiki/Ultraviolet" title="Ultraviolet">ultraviolet radiation</a> emitted by stars are key factors that determine not only gas and column density, but also the molecular composition of a cloud. The dust provides shielding to the molecular gas inside, preventing <a href="/wiki/Dissociation_(chemistry)" title="Dissociation (chemistry)">dissociation</a> by the ultraviolet radiation. The dissociation caused by <a href="/wiki/Ultraviolet" title="Ultraviolet">UV photons</a> is the main mechanism for transforming molecular material back to the atomic state inside the cloud.<sup id="cite_ref-:wardthompson_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:wardthompson-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Molecular content in a region of a molecular cloud can change rapidly due to variation in the radiation field and dust movement and disturbance.<sup id="cite_ref-:Physics439_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Physics439-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Ngc1555.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Ngc1555.jpg/250px-Ngc1555.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="244" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Ngc1555.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="333" /></a><figcaption>The star T Tauri with NGC 1555 cloud nearby.</figcaption></figure> <p>Most of the gas constituting a molecular cloud is <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen" title="Hydrogen">molecular hydrogen</a>, with <a href="/wiki/Carbon_monoxide" title="Carbon monoxide">carbon monoxide</a> being the second most common compound.<sup id="cite_ref-:Dominik_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Dominik-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Molecular clouds also usually contain other elements and compounds. Astronomers have observed the presence of long chain compounds such as <a href="/wiki/Methanol" title="Methanol">methanol</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ethanol" title="Ethanol">ethanol</a> and <a href="/wiki/Benzene" title="Benzene">benzene rings</a> and their several <a href="/wiki/Hydride" title="Hydride">hydrides</a>. Large molecules known as <a href="/wiki/Polycyclic_aromatic_hydrocarbon" title="Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon">polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons</a> have also been detected.<sup id="cite_ref-:wardthompson_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:wardthompson-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The density across a molecular cloud is fragmented and its regions can be generally categorized in clumps and cores. Clumps form the larger substructure of the cloud, having the average size of 1 <a href="/wiki/Parsec" title="Parsec">pc</a>. Clumps are the precursors of <a href="/wiki/Star_cluster" title="Star cluster">star clusters</a>, though not every clump will eventually form stars. Cores are much smaller (by a factor of 10) and have higher densities. Cores are <a href="/wiki/Gravitational_binding_energy" title="Gravitational binding energy">gravitationally bound</a> and go through a <a href="/wiki/Gravitational_collapse" title="Gravitational collapse">collapse</a> during <a href="/wiki/Star_formation" title="Star formation">star formation</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:Dominik_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Dominik-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In astronomical terms, molecular clouds are short-lived structures that are either destroyed or go through major structural and chemical changes approximately 10 million years into their existence. Their short life span can be inferred from the range in age of young stars associated with them, of 10 to 20 million years, matching molecular clouds’ internal timescales.<sup id="cite_ref-:Physics439_13-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Physics439-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Direct observation of <a href="/wiki/T_Tauri_star" title="T Tauri star">T Tauri stars</a> inside dark clouds and <a href="/wiki/OB_star" title="OB star">OB stars</a> in star-forming regions match this predicted age span. The fact OB stars older than 10 million years don’t have a significant amount of cloud material about them, seems to suggest most of the cloud is dispersed after this time. The lack of large amounts of frozen molecules inside the clouds also suggest a short-lived structure. Some astronomers propose the molecules never froze in very large quantities due to turbulence and the fast transition between atomic and molecular gas.<sup id="cite_ref-:Physics439_13-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Physics439-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Cloud_formation_and_destruction">Cloud formation and destruction</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Cloud formation and destruction"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Due to their short lifespan, it follows that molecular clouds are constantly being assembled and destroyed. By calculating the rate at which stars are forming in our galaxy, astronomers are able to suggest the amount of interstellar gas being collected into star-forming molecular clouds in our galaxy. The rate of mass being assembled into stars is approximately 3 <a href="/wiki/Solar_mass" title="Solar mass"><i>M</i><sub>☉</sub></a> per year. Only 2% of the mass of a molecular cloud is assembled into stars, giving the number of 150 <i>M</i><sub>☉</sub> of gas being assembled in molecular clouds in the <a href="/wiki/Milky_Way" title="Milky Way">Milky Way</a> per year.<sup id="cite_ref-:Physics439_13-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Physics439-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:lada91_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:lada91-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:54345main_ic1396_highres.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/54345main_ic1396_highres.jpg/220px-54345main_ic1396_highres.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="181" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/54345main_ic1396_highres.jpg/330px-54345main_ic1396_highres.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/54345main_ic1396_highres.jpg/440px-54345main_ic1396_highres.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1142" data-file-height="939" /></a><figcaption>The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is an elongated dark globule. The globule is a condensation of dense gas that is barely surviving the strong ionizing radiation from a nearby massive star.</figcaption></figure><p>Two possible mechanisms for molecular cloud formation have been suggested by astronomers. Cloud growth by collision and gravitational instability in the gas layer spread throughout the galaxy. Models for the <a href="/wiki/Collision_theory" title="Collision theory">collision theory</a> have shown it cannot be the main mechanism for cloud formation due to the very long timescale it would take to form a molecular cloud, beyond the average lifespan of such structures.<sup id="cite_ref-:lada91_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:lada91-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:Physics439_13-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Physics439-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Gravitational instability is likely to be the main mechanism. Those regions with more gas will exert a greater gravitational force on their neighboring regions, and draw surrounding material. This extra material increases the density, increasing their gravitational attraction. <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_model" title="Mathematical model">Mathematical models</a> of gravitational instability in the gas layer predict a formation time within the timescale for the estimated cloud formation time.<sup id="cite_ref-:lada91_14-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:lada91-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:Physics439_13-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Physics439-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Once a molecular cloud assembles enough mass, the densest regions of the structure will start to <a href="/wiki/Gravitational_collapse" title="Gravitational collapse">collapse</a> under gravity, creating <a href="/wiki/Star_formation" title="Star formation">star-forming</a> clusters. This process is highly destructive to the cloud itself. Once stars are formed, they begin to <a href="/wiki/Ionization" title="Ionization">ionize</a> portions of the cloud around it due to their heat. The ionized gas then evaporates and is dispersed in formations called ‘<a href="/wiki/Champagne_flow_model" title="Champagne flow model">champagne flows</a>’.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This process begins when approximately 2% of the mass of the cloud has been converted into stars. <a href="/wiki/Stellar_wind" title="Stellar wind">Stellar winds</a> are also known to contribute to cloud dispersal. The cycle of cloud formation and destruction is closed when the gas dispersed by stars cools again and is pulled into new clouds by gravitational instability.<sup id="cite_ref-:Physics439_13-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:Physics439-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Star_formation">Star formation</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Star formation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Star_formation" title="Star formation">Star formation</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Herschel%E2%80%99s_view_of_the_Taurus_molecular_cloud_ESA384012.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Herschel%E2%80%99s_view_of_the_Taurus_molecular_cloud_ESA384012.jpg/220px-Herschel%E2%80%99s_view_of_the_Taurus_molecular_cloud_ESA384012.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="113" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Herschel%E2%80%99s_view_of_the_Taurus_molecular_cloud_ESA384012.jpg/330px-Herschel%E2%80%99s_view_of_the_Taurus_molecular_cloud_ESA384012.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Herschel%E2%80%99s_view_of_the_Taurus_molecular_cloud_ESA384012.jpg/440px-Herschel%E2%80%99s_view_of_the_Taurus_molecular_cloud_ESA384012.jpg 2x" data-file-width="6387" data-file-height="3285" /></a><figcaption>Taurus Molecular Cloud. Located about 430 light-years from us, this vast complex of interstellar clouds is where a large amount of stars are being born, and is the closest large region of star formation.</figcaption></figure><p>Star formation involves the collapse of the densest part of the molecular cloud, fragmenting the collapsed region in smaller clumps. These clumps aggregate more interstellar material, increasing in density by gravitational contraction. This process continues until the temperature reaches a point where the fusion of hydrogen can occur.<sup id="cite_ref-:maurizio_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:maurizio-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The burning of hydrogen then generates enough heat to push against gravity, creating <a href="/wiki/Hydrostatic_equilibrium" title="Hydrostatic equilibrium">hydrostatic equilibrium</a>. At this stage, a <a href="/wiki/Protostar" title="Protostar">protostar</a> is formed and it will continue to aggregate gas and dust from the cloud around it. </p><p>One of the most studied star formation regions is the <a href="/wiki/Taurus_molecular_cloud" title="Taurus molecular cloud">Taurus molecular cloud</a> due to its close proximity to earth (140 <a href="/wiki/Parsec" title="Parsec">pc</a> or 430 <a href="/wiki/Light-year" title="Light-year">ly</a> away), making it an excellent object to collect data about the relationship between molecular clouds and star formation. Embedded in the Taurus molecular cloud there are <a href="/wiki/T_Tauri_star" title="T Tauri star">T Tauri stars</a>. These are a class of <a href="/wiki/Variable_star" title="Variable star">variable stars</a> in an early stage of stellar development and still gathering gas and dust from the cloud around them. Observation of star forming regions have helped astronomers develop theories about <a href="/wiki/Stellar_evolution" title="Stellar evolution">stellar evolution</a>. Many <a href="/wiki/O-type_star" title="O-type star">O</a> and <a href="/wiki/Stellar_classification" title="Stellar classification">B</a> type stars have been observed in or very near molecular clouds. Since these star types belong to <a href="/wiki/Stellar_population" title="Stellar population">population I</a> (some are less than 1 million years old), they cannot have moved far from their birth place. Many of these young stars are found embedded in cloud clusters, suggesting stars are formed inside it.<sup id="cite_ref-:maurizio_16-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:maurizio-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Types_of_molecular_cloud">Types of molecular cloud</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Types of molecular cloud"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Giant_molecular_clouds">Giant molecular clouds</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Giant molecular clouds"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:%22Finger_of_God%22_Bok_globule_in_the_Carina_Nebula.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/%22Finger_of_God%22_Bok_globule_in_the_Carina_Nebula.jpg/220px-%22Finger_of_God%22_Bok_globule_in_the_Carina_Nebula.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="176" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/%22Finger_of_God%22_Bok_globule_in_the_Carina_Nebula.jpg/330px-%22Finger_of_God%22_Bok_globule_in_the_Carina_Nebula.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/%22Finger_of_God%22_Bok_globule_in_the_Carina_Nebula.jpg/440px-%22Finger_of_God%22_Bok_globule_in_the_Carina_Nebula.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="1024" /></a><figcaption>Within a few million years the light from bright stars will have boiled away this molecular cloud of gas and dust. <a href="/wiki/Finger_of_God_Globule" title="Finger of God Globule">The Finger of God Globule</a> has broken off from the <a href="/wiki/Carina_Nebula" title="Carina Nebula">Carina Nebula</a>. Newly formed stars are visible nearby, their images reddened by blue light being preferentially scattered by the pervasive dust. This image spans about two light-years and was taken by the <a href="/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope" title="Hubble Space Telescope">Hubble Space Telescope</a> in 1999.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Part_of_the_Taurus_Molecular_Cloud.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Part_of_the_Taurus_Molecular_Cloud.jpg/250px-Part_of_the_Taurus_Molecular_Cloud.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="249" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Part_of_the_Taurus_Molecular_Cloud.jpg/330px-Part_of_the_Taurus_Molecular_Cloud.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Part_of_the_Taurus_Molecular_Cloud.jpg/500px-Part_of_the_Taurus_Molecular_Cloud.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="1449" /></a><figcaption>Part of the Taurus molecular cloud<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p>A vast assemblage of molecular gas that has more than 10 thousand times the mass of the Sun<sup id="cite_ref-Fukui_Kawamura_2010_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Fukui_Kawamura_2010-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> is called a <b>giant molecular cloud</b> (<b>GMC</b>). GMCs are around 15 to 600 light-years (5 to 200 parsecs) in diameter, with typical masses of 10 thousand to 10 million solar masses.<sup id="cite_ref-murray_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-murray-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Whereas the average density in the solar vicinity is one particle per cubic centimetre, the average volume density of a GMC is about ten to a thousand times higher. Although the Sun is much denser than a GMC, the volume of a GMC is so great that it contains much more mass than the Sun. The substructure of a GMC is a complex pattern of filaments, sheets, bubbles, and irregular clumps.<sup id="cite_ref-williamsandblitz_8-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-williamsandblitz-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Filaments are truly ubiquitous in the molecular cloud. Dense molecular filaments will fragment into gravitationally bound cores, most of which will evolve into stars. Continuous accretion of gas, geometrical bending, and magnetic fields may control the detailed fragmentation manner of the filaments. In supercritical filaments, observations have revealed quasi-periodic chains of dense cores with spacing of 0.15 parsec comparable to the filament inner width.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A substantial fraction of filaments contained prestellar and protostellar cores, supporting the important role of filaments in gravitationally bound core formation.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Recent studies have suggested that filamentary structures in molecular clouds play a crucial role in the initial conditions of star formation and the origin of the stellar IMF.<sup id="cite_ref-arxiv_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-arxiv-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The densest parts of the filaments and clumps are called molecular cores, while the densest molecular cores are called dense molecular cores and have densities in excess of 10<sup>4</sup> to 10<sup>6</sup> particles per cubic centimeter. Typical molecular cores are traced with CO and dense molecular cores are traced with <a href="/wiki/Ammonia" title="Ammonia">ammonia</a>. The concentration of <a href="/wiki/Cosmic_dust" title="Cosmic dust">dust</a> within molecular cores is normally sufficient to block light from background stars so that they appear in silhouette as <a href="/wiki/Dark_nebula" title="Dark nebula">dark nebulae</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-francesco2006_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-francesco2006-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p> GMCs are so large that local ones can cover a significant fraction of a constellation; thus they are often referred to by the name of that constellation, e.g. the <a href="/wiki/Orion_molecular_cloud_complex" title="Orion molecular cloud complex">Orion molecular cloud</a> (OMC) or the <a href="/wiki/Taurus_molecular_cloud" title="Taurus molecular cloud">Taurus molecular cloud</a> (TMC). These local GMCs are arrayed in a ring in the neighborhood of the Sun coinciding with the <a href="/wiki/Gould_Belt" title="Gould Belt">Gould Belt</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The most massive collection of molecular clouds in the galaxy forms an asymmetrical ring about the galactic center at a radius of 120 parsecs; the largest component of this ring is the <a href="/wiki/Sagittarius_B2" title="Sagittarius B2">Sagittarius B2</a> complex. The Sagittarius region is chemically rich and is often used as an exemplar by astronomers searching for new molecules in interstellar space.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p><figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Distribution_of_molecular_gas_in_30_merging_galaxies.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Distribution_of_molecular_gas_in_30_merging_galaxies.jpg/220px-Distribution_of_molecular_gas_in_30_merging_galaxies.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="264" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Distribution_of_molecular_gas_in_30_merging_galaxies.jpg/330px-Distribution_of_molecular_gas_in_30_merging_galaxies.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Distribution_of_molecular_gas_in_30_merging_galaxies.jpg/440px-Distribution_of_molecular_gas_in_30_merging_galaxies.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3000" data-file-height="3600" /></a><figcaption>Distribution of molecular gas in 30 merging galaxies.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Small_molecular_clouds">Small molecular clouds</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Small molecular clouds"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Bok_globule" title="Bok globule">Bok globule</a></div> <p>Isolated gravitationally-bound small molecular clouds with masses less than a few hundred times that of the Sun are called <a href="/wiki/Bok_globule" title="Bok globule">Bok globules</a>. The densest parts of small molecular clouds are equivalent to the molecular cores found in GMCs and are often included in the same studies. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="High-latitude_diffuse_molecular_clouds">High-latitude diffuse molecular clouds</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: High-latitude diffuse molecular clouds"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Infrared_cirrus" title="Infrared cirrus">Infrared cirrus</a></div><p> In 1984 <a href="/wiki/IRAS" title="IRAS">IRAS</a><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify"><span title="The text near this tag may need clarification or removal of jargon. (October 2021)">clarification needed</span></a></i>]</sup> identified a new type of diffuse molecular cloud.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> These were diffuse filamentary clouds that are visible at high <a href="/wiki/Galactic_coordinate_system" title="Galactic coordinate system">galactic latitudes</a>. These clouds have a typical density of 30 particles per cubic centimetre.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p><figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Serpens_south.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Serpens_south.jpg/220px-Serpens_south.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="314" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Serpens_south.jpg/330px-Serpens_south.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Serpens_south.jpg/440px-Serpens_south.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1410" data-file-height="2014" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Serpens_South" title="Serpens South">Serpens South</a> star cluster is embedded in a filamentary molecular cloud, seen as a dark ribbon passing vertically through the cluster. This cloud has served as a testbed for studies of molecular cloud stability.<sup id="cite_ref-FriesenBourke2016_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FriesenBourke2016-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="List_of_molecular_cloud_complexes">List of molecular cloud complexes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: List of molecular cloud complexes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For apparent groups of <a href="/wiki/Dark_nebula" title="Dark nebula">dark nebulae</a>, see <a href="/wiki/Dark_cloud_constellation" class="mw-redirect" title="Dark cloud constellation">Dark cloud constellation</a>.</div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sagittarius_B2" title="Sagittarius B2">Sagittarius B2</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Serpens-Aquila_Rift" class="mw-redirect" title="Serpens-Aquila Rift">Serpens-Aquila Rift</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rho_Ophiuchi_cloud_complex" title="Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex">Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corona_Australis#Corona_Australis_molecular_cloud" title="Corona Australis">Corona Australis molecular cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chamaeleon_complex#Extended_definition" title="Chamaeleon complex">Musca–Chamaeleonis molecular cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vela_Molecular_Ridge" title="Vela Molecular Ridge">Vela Molecular Ridge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Radcliff_wave" class="mw-redirect" title="Radcliff wave">Radcliff wave</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Orion_molecular_cloud_complex" title="Orion molecular cloud complex">Orion molecular cloud complex</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Taurus_molecular_cloud" title="Taurus molecular cloud">Taurus molecular cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perseus_molecular_cloud" title="Perseus molecular cloud">Perseus molecular cloud</a></li></ul></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Accretion_(astrophysics)" title="Accretion (astrophysics)">Accretion (astrophysics)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Astrochemistry" title="Astrochemistry">Astrochemistry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atomic_and_molecular_astrophysics" title="Atomic and molecular astrophysics">Atomic and molecular astrophysics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cosmic_dust" title="Cosmic dust">Cosmic dust</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cosmochemistry" title="Cosmochemistry">Cosmochemistry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evaporating_gaseous_globule" title="Evaporating gaseous globule">Evaporating gaseous globule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Formation_and_evolution_of_the_Solar_System" title="Formation and evolution of the Solar System">Formation and evolution of the Solar System</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interstellar_ice" title="Interstellar ice">Interstellar ice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nebula" title="Nebula">Nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Orion_molecular_cloud_complex" title="Orion molecular cloud complex">Orion molecular cloud complex</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perseus_molecular_cloud" title="Perseus molecular cloud">Perseus molecular cloud</a></li></ul></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-:0-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFCraig_Kulesa" class="citation web cs1">Craig Kulesa. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://loke.as.arizona.edu/~ckulesa/research/overview.html">"Overview: Molecular Astrophysics and Star Formation"</a>. <i>Research Projects</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2F3-540-58621-0">10.1007/3-540-58621-0</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-540-58621-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-3-540-58621-0"><bdi>978-3-540-58621-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Structure+and+Content+of+Molecular+Clouds+25+Years+of+Molecular+Radioastronomy%3A+Proceedings+of+a+Conference+Held+at+Schloss+Ringberg%2C+Tegernsee%2C+Germany+14%E2%80%9316+April+1993&rft.place=Berlin%2C+Heidelberg&rft.series=Lecture+Notes+in+Physics&rft.pub=Springer+Berlin+Heidelberg&rft.date=1994&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1007%2F3-540-58621-0&rft.isbn=978-3-540-58621-0&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Flink.springer.com%2F10.1007%2F3-540-58621-0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMolecular+cloud" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:lada91-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:lada91_14-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:lada91_14-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:lada91_14-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFLada1991" class="citation book cs1">Lada, Charles J., ed. (1991). <i>The physics of star formation and early stellar evolution: proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on the Physics of Star Formation and Early Stellar Evolution, Agia Pelagia, Crete, Greece, May 27 - June 8, 1990</i>. NATO ASI series Series C, Mathematical and physical sciences. Dordrecht: Kluwer. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7923-1349-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7923-1349-6"><bdi>978-0-7923-1349-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+physics+of+star+formation+and+early+stellar+evolution%3A+proceedings+of+the+NATO+Advanced+Study+Institute+on+the+Physics+of+Star+Formation+and+Early+Stellar+Evolution%2C+Agia+Pelagia%2C+Crete%2C+Greece%2C+May+27+-+June+8%2C+1990&rft.place=Dordrecht&rft.series=NATO+ASI+series+Series+C%2C+Mathematical+and+physical+sciences&rft.pub=Kluwer&rft.date=1991&rft.isbn=978-0-7923-1349-6&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMolecular+cloud" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFTenorio-Tagle1979" class="citation journal cs1">Tenorio-Tagle, G. (1979-01-01). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1979A&A....71...59T">"The gas dynamics of H II regions. I. The champagne model"</a>. <i>Astronomy and Astrophysics</i>. <b>71</b>: <span class="nowrap">59–</span>65. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bibcode (identifier)">Bibcode</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1979A&A....71...59T">1979A&A....71...59T</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0004-6361">0004-6361</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Astronomy+and+Astrophysics&rft.atitle=The+gas+dynamics+of+H+II+regions.+I.+The+champagne+model.&rft.volume=71&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E59-%3C%2Fspan%3E65&rft.date=1979-01-01&rft.issn=0004-6361&rft_id=info%3Abibcode%2F1979A%26A....71...59T&rft.aulast=Tenorio-Tagle&rft.aufirst=G.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fui.adsabs.harvard.edu%2Fabs%2F1979A%26A....71...59T&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMolecular+cloud" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:maurizio-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:maurizio_16-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:maurizio_16-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFSalarisCassisi2005" class="citation book cs1">Salaris, Maurizio; Cassisi, Santi (2005). <i>Evolution of stars and stellar populations</i>. Chichester: Wiley. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-470-09220-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-470-09220-0"><bdi>978-0-470-09220-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Evolution+of+stars+and+stellar+populations&rft.place=Chichester&rft.pub=Wiley&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-470-09220-0&rft.aulast=Salaris&rft.aufirst=Maurizio&rft.au=Cassisi%2C+Santi&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMolecular+cloud" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1209/">"APEX Turns its Eye to Dark Clouds in Taurus"</a>. <i>ESO Press Release</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">17 February</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=ESO+Press+Release&rft.atitle=APEX+Turns+its+Eye+to+Dark+Clouds+in+Taurus&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eso.org%2Fpublic%2Fnews%2Feso1209%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMolecular+cloud" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Fukui_Kawamura_2010-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Fukui_Kawamura_2010_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">See, e.g., <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFFukuiKawamura2010" class="citation journal cs1">Fukui, Y.; Kawamura, A. (2010). 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(2011). "Star Formation Efficiencies and Lifetimes of Giant Molecular Clouds in the Milky Way". <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>. <b>729</b> (2): 133. <a href="/wiki/ArXiv_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ArXiv (identifier)">arXiv</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1007.3270">1007.3270</a></span>. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bibcode (identifier)">Bibcode</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011ApJ...729..133M">2011ApJ...729..133M</a>. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0004-637X%2F729%2F2%2F133">10.1088/0004-637X/729/2/133</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:118627665">118627665</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Astrophysical+Journal&rft.atitle=Star+Formation+Efficiencies+and+Lifetimes+of+Giant+Molecular+Clouds+in+the+Milky+Way&rft.volume=729&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=133&rft.date=2011&rft_id=info%3Aarxiv%2F1007.3270&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A118627665%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1088%2F0004-637X%2F729%2F2%2F133&rft_id=info%3Abibcode%2F2011ApJ...729..133M&rft.aulast=Murray&rft.aufirst=N.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMolecular+cloud" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFZhangAndréMen'shchikovWang2020" class="citation journal cs1">Zhang, Guo-Yin; 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K.; Bourke, T. L.; Francesco, J. Di; Gutermuth, R.; Myers, P. C. (2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.3847%2F1538-4357%2F833%2F2%2F204">"The Fragmentation and Stability of Hierarchical Structure in Serpens South"</a>. <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>. <b>833</b> (2): 204. <a href="/wiki/ArXiv_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ArXiv (identifier)">arXiv</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.10066">1610.10066</a></span>. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bibcode (identifier)">Bibcode</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016ApJ...833..204F">2016ApJ...833..204F</a>. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.3847%2F1538-4357%2F833%2F2%2F204">10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/204</a></span>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1538-4357">1538-4357</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:118594849">118594849</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Astrophysical+Journal&rft.atitle=The+Fragmentation+and+Stability+of+Hierarchical+Structure+in+Serpens+South&rft.volume=833&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=204&rft.date=2016&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A118594849%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=info%3Abibcode%2F2016ApJ...833..204F&rft_id=info%3Aarxiv%2F1610.10066&rft.issn=1538-4357&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.3847%2F1538-4357%2F833%2F2%2F204&rft.aulast=Friesen&rft.aufirst=R.+K.&rft.au=Bourke%2C+T.+L.&rft.au=Francesco%2C+J.+Di&rft.au=Gutermuth%2C+R.&rft.au=Myers%2C+P.+C.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.3847%252F1538-4357%252F833%252F2%252F204&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMolecular+cloud" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Molecular_cloud&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFZuckerGoodmanAlvesBialy2021" class="citation journal cs1">Zucker, Catherine; Goodman, Alyssa; Alves, João; Bialy, Shmuel; Koch, Eric W.; Speagle, Joshua S.; Foley, Michael M.; Finkbeiner, Douglas; Leike, Reimar; Enßlin, Torsten; Peek, Joshua E. G.; Edenhofer, Gordian (2021). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://faun.rc.fas.harvard.edu/czucker/Paper_Figures/3D_Cloud_Topologies/gallery.html">"Gallery of 3D Cloud Structure in the Solar Neighborhood"</a>. <i>Harvard</i>. <a href="/wiki/ArXiv_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ArXiv (identifier)">arXiv</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.09765">2109.09765</a></span>. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.3847%2F1538-4357%2Fac1f96">10.3847/1538-4357/ac1f96</a></span>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:237581260">237581260</a>.</cite><span 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class="mw-selflink selflink">Molecular cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bok_globule" title="Bok globule">Bok globule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Young_stellar_object" title="Young stellar object">Young stellar object</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Protostar" title="Protostar">Protostar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pre-main-sequence_star" title="Pre-main-sequence star">Pre-main-sequence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Herbig_Ae/Be_star" title="Herbig Ae/Be star">Herbig Ae/Be</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/T_Tauri_star" title="T Tauri star">T Tauri</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Herbig%E2%80%93Haro_object" title="Herbig–Haro object">Herbig–Haro object</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hayashi_track" title="Hayashi track">Hayashi track</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Henyey_track" title="Henyey track">Henyey track</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Stellar_evolution" title="Stellar evolution">Evolution</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Main_sequence" title="Main sequence">Main sequence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Red-giant_branch" title="Red-giant branch">Red-giant branch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Horizontal_branch" title="Horizontal branch">Horizontal branch</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Red_clump" title="Red clump">Red clump</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Asymptotic_giant_branch" title="Asymptotic giant branch">Asymptotic giant branch</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Post-AGB_star" title="Post-AGB star">post-AGB</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Super-AGB_star" title="Super-AGB star">super-AGB</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Blue_loop" title="Blue loop">Blue loop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_nebula" title="Planetary nebula">Planetary nebula</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Protoplanetary_nebula" title="Protoplanetary nebula">Protoplanetary</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wolf%E2%80%93Rayet_nebula" title="Wolf–Rayet nebula">Wolf–Rayet nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/PG_1159_star" title="PG 1159 star">PG1159</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dredge-up" title="Dredge-up">Dredge-up</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/OH/IR_star" title="OH/IR star">OH/IR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Instability_strip" title="Instability strip">Instability strip</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Luminous_blue_variable" title="Luminous blue variable">Luminous blue variable</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_population" title="Stellar population">Stellar population</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Supernova" title="Supernova">Supernova</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Superluminous_supernova" title="Superluminous supernova">Superluminous</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hypernova" title="Hypernova">Hypernova</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Stellar_classification" title="Stellar classification">Classification</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Early-type_star" class="mw-redirect" title="Early-type star">Early</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Late-type_star" class="mw-redirect" title="Late-type star">Late</a></li> <li>Main sequence <ul><li><a href="/wiki/O-type_main-sequence_star" title="O-type main-sequence star">O</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/B-type_main-sequence_star" title="B-type main-sequence star">B</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/A-type_main-sequence_star" title="A-type main-sequence star">A</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/F-type_main-sequence_star" title="F-type main-sequence star">F</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/G-type_main-sequence_star" title="G-type main-sequence star">G</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/K-type_main-sequence_star" title="K-type main-sequence star">K</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Red_dwarf" title="Red dwarf">M</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subdwarf" title="Subdwarf">Subdwarf</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Subdwarf_O_star" title="Subdwarf O star">O</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subdwarf_B_star" title="Subdwarf B star">B</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wolf%E2%80%93Rayet_star" title="Wolf–Rayet star">WR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/OB_star" title="OB star">OB</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subgiant" title="Subgiant">Subgiant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Giant_star" title="Giant star">Giant</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Blue_giant" title="Blue giant">Blue</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Red_giant" title="Red giant">Red</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yellow_giant" class="mw-redirect" title="Yellow giant">Yellow</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bright_giant" class="mw-redirect" title="Bright giant">Bright giant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Supergiant" title="Supergiant">Supergiant</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Blue_supergiant" title="Blue supergiant">Blue</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Red_supergiant" title="Red supergiant">Red</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yellow_supergiant" title="Yellow supergiant">Yellow</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hypergiant" title="Hypergiant">Hypergiant</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Yellow_hypergiant" title="Yellow hypergiant">Yellow</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbon_star" title="Carbon star">Carbon</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/S-type_star" title="S-type star">S</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/CN_star" title="CN star">CN</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/CH_star" title="CH star">CH</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/White_dwarf" title="White dwarf">White dwarf</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chemically_peculiar_star" title="Chemically peculiar star">Chemically peculiar</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Am_star" title="Am star">Am</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ap_and_Bp_stars" title="Ap and Bp stars">Ap/Bp</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/CEMP_star" title="CEMP star">CEMP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mercury-manganese_star" title="Mercury-manganese star">HgMn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Helium-weak_star" title="Helium-weak star">He-weak</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Barium_star" title="Barium star">Barium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lambda_Bo%C3%B6tis_star" title="Lambda Boötis star">Lambda Boötis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lead_star" title="Lead star">Lead</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Technetium_star" title="Technetium star">Technetium</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Be_star" title="Be star">Be</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shell_star" title="Shell star">Shell</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/B(e)_star" title="B(e) star">B[e]</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Helium_star" title="Helium star">Helium</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Extreme_helium_star" title="Extreme helium star">Extreme</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Blue_straggler" title="Blue straggler">Blue straggler</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Compact_star" class="mw-redirect" title="Compact star">Remnants</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Compact_star" class="mw-redirect" title="Compact star">Compact star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/IRAS_00500%2B6713" title="IRAS 00500+6713">Parker's star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/White_dwarf" title="White dwarf">White dwarf</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Helium_planet" title="Helium planet">Helium planet</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neutron_star" title="Neutron star">Neutron</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Radio-quiet_neutron_star" title="Radio-quiet neutron star">Radio-quiet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pulsar" title="Pulsar">Pulsar</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Binary_pulsar" title="Binary pulsar">Binary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/X-ray_pulsar" title="X-ray pulsar">X-ray</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magnetar" title="Magnetar">Magnetar</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_black_hole" title="Stellar black hole">Stellar black hole</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/X-ray_binary" title="X-ray binary">X-ray binary</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/X-ray_burster" title="X-ray burster">Burster</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soft_gamma_repeater" title="Soft gamma repeater">SGR</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Hypothetical_star" title="Hypothetical star">Hypothetical</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Blue_dwarf_(red-dwarf_stage)" title="Blue dwarf (red-dwarf stage)">Blue dwarf</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Black_dwarf" title="Black dwarf">Black dwarf</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exotic_star" title="Exotic star">Exotic</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Boson_star" class="mw-redirect" title="Boson star">Boson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electroweak_star" class="mw-redirect" title="Electroweak star">Electroweak</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Strange_star" title="Strange star">Strange</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Preon_star" class="mw-redirect" title="Preon star">Preon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planck_star" title="Planck star">Planck</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dark_star_(dark_matter)" title="Dark star (dark matter)">Dark</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dark-energy_star" title="Dark-energy star">Dark-energy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quark_star" title="Quark star">Quark</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Q_star" title="Q star">Q</a></li></ul></li> <li>Black hole star <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Black_star_(semiclassical_gravity)" title="Black star (semiclassical gravity)">Black</a></li> <li>Hawking</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quasi-star" title="Quasi-star">Quasi-star</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gravastar" title="Gravastar">Gravastar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thorne%E2%80%93%C5%BBytkow_object" title="Thorne–Żytkow object">Thorne–Żytkow object</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iron_star" title="Iron star">Iron</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Blitzar" title="Blitzar">Blitzar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/White_hole" title="White hole">White hole</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Stellar_nucleosynthesis" title="Stellar nucleosynthesis">Nucleosynthesis</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Deuterium_fusion" title="Deuterium fusion">Deuterium burning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lithium_burning" title="Lithium burning">Lithium burning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Proton%E2%80%93proton_chain" title="Proton–proton chain">Proton–proton chain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/CNO_cycle" title="CNO cycle">CNO cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Helium_flash" title="Helium flash">Helium flash</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Triple-alpha_process" title="Triple-alpha process">Triple-alpha process</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alpha_process" title="Alpha process">Alpha process</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbon-burning_process" title="Carbon-burning process">C burning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neon-burning_process" title="Neon-burning process">Ne burning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oxygen-burning_process" title="Oxygen-burning process">O burning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silicon-burning_process" title="Silicon-burning process">Si burning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/S-process" title="S-process">s-process</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/R-process" title="R-process">r-process</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/P-process" title="P-process">p-process</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nova" title="Nova">Nova</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Symbiotic_nova" title="Symbiotic nova">Symbiotic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nova_remnant" title="Nova remnant">Remnant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Luminous_red_nova" title="Luminous red nova">Luminous red nova</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nova#Recurrent_novae" title="Nova">Recurrent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Micronova" title="Micronova">Micronova</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Supernova_nucleosynthesis" title="Supernova nucleosynthesis">Supernova</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Stellar_structure" title="Stellar structure">Structure</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_core" title="Stellar core">Core</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Convection_zone" title="Convection zone">Convection zone</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Microturbulence" title="Microturbulence">Microturbulence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solar-like_oscillations" title="Solar-like oscillations">Oscillations</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Radiation_zone" class="mw-redirect" title="Radiation zone">Radiation zone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_atmosphere" title="Stellar atmosphere">Atmosphere</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Photosphere" title="Photosphere">Photosphere</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Starspot" title="Starspot">Starspot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chromosphere" title="Chromosphere">Chromosphere</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_corona" title="Stellar corona">Stellar corona</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alfv%C3%A9n_surface" title="Alfvén surface">Alfvén surface</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_wind" title="Stellar wind">Stellar wind</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Stellar-wind_bubble" title="Stellar-wind bubble">Bubble</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bipolar_outflow" title="Bipolar outflow">Bipolar outflow</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Accretion_disk" title="Accretion disk">Accretion disk</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Protoplanetary_disk" title="Protoplanetary disk">Protoplanetary disk</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Proplyd" title="Proplyd">Proplyd</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Asteroseismology" title="Asteroseismology">Asteroseismology</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Helioseismology" title="Helioseismology">Helioseismology</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circumstellar_dust" title="Circumstellar dust">Circumstellar dust</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cosmic_dust" title="Cosmic dust">Cosmic dust</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circumstellar_envelope" title="Circumstellar envelope">Circumstellar envelope</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eddington_luminosity" title="Eddington luminosity">Eddington luminosity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kelvin%E2%80%93Helmholtz_mechanism" title="Kelvin–Helmholtz mechanism">Kelvin–Helmholtz mechanism</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Properties</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_designations_and_names" title="Stellar designations and names">Designation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_dynamics" title="Stellar dynamics">Dynamics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Effective_temperature" title="Effective temperature">Effective temperature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Luminosity" title="Luminosity">Luminosity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_kinematics" title="Stellar kinematics">Kinematics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_magnetic_field" title="Stellar magnetic field">Magnetic field</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Absolute_magnitude" title="Absolute magnitude">Absolute magnitude</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_mass" title="Stellar mass">Mass</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metallicity" title="Metallicity">Metallicity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_rotation" title="Stellar rotation">Rotation</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Gravity_darkening" title="Gravity darkening">Gravity darkening</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Starlight" title="Starlight">Starlight</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Variable_star" title="Variable star">Variable</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Photometric_system" title="Photometric system">Photometric system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Color_index" title="Color index">Color index</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hertzsprung%E2%80%93Russell_diagram" title="Hertzsprung–Russell diagram">Hertzsprung–Russell diagram</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Color%E2%80%93color_diagram" title="Color–color diagram">Color–color diagram</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Str%C3%B6mgren_sphere" title="Strömgren sphere">Strömgren sphere</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kraft_break" title="Kraft break">Kraft break</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Star_system" title="Star system">Star systems</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Binary_star" title="Binary star">Binary</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Contact_binary" title="Contact binary">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Common_envelope" title="Common envelope">Common envelope</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eclipsing_binary" class="mw-redirect" title="Eclipsing binary">Eclipsing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Symbiotic_binary" title="Symbiotic binary">Symbiotic</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Star_system#Multiple_star_systems" title="Star system">Multiple</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Star_cluster" title="Star cluster">Cluster</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Open_cluster" title="Open cluster">Open</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Globular_cluster" title="Globular cluster">Globular</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Super_star_cluster" title="Super star cluster">Super</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_system" title="Planetary system">Planetary system</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Earth-centric<br />observations</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sun" title="Sun">Sun</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Solar_eclipse" title="Solar eclipse">Solar eclipse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solar_radio_emission" title="Solar radio emission">Solar radio emission</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solar_System" title="Solar System">Solar System</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sunlight" title="Sunlight">Sunlight</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pole_star" title="Pole star">Pole star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circumpolar_star" title="Circumpolar star">Circumpolar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Constellation" title="Constellation">Constellation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Asterism_(astronomy)" title="Asterism (astronomy)">Asterism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magnitude_(astronomy)" title="Magnitude (astronomy)">Magnitude</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Apparent_magnitude" title="Apparent magnitude">Apparent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Extinction_(astronomy)" title="Extinction (astronomy)">Extinction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Photographic_magnitude" title="Photographic magnitude">Photographic</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Radial_velocity" title="Radial velocity">Radial velocity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Proper_motion" title="Proper motion">Proper motion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stellar_parallax" title="Stellar parallax">Parallax</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Photometric-standard_star" title="Photometric-standard star">Photometric-standard</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Lists_of_stars" title="Lists of stars">Lists</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_proper_names_of_stars" title="List of proper names of stars">Proper names</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Arabic_star_names" title="List of Arabic star names">Arabic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_star_names" class="mw-redirect" title="Chinese star names">Chinese</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_star_extremes" title="List of star extremes">Extremes</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_most_massive_stars" title="List of most massive stars">Most massive</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_hottest_stars" title="List of hottest stars">Highest temperature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_coolest_stars" title="List of coolest stars">Lowest temperature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_largest_known_stars" class="mw-redirect" title="List of largest known stars">Largest volume</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_smallest_known_stars" title="List of smallest known stars">Smallest volume</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_brightest_stars" title="List of brightest stars">Brightest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Historical_brightest_stars" title="Historical brightest stars">Historical brightest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_most_luminous_stars" title="List of most luminous stars">Most luminous</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_nearest_stars" title="List of nearest stars">Nearest</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_nearest_bright_stars" title="List of nearest bright stars">bright</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_the_most_distant_astronomical_objects#List_of_most_distant_objects_by_type" title="List of the most distant astronomical objects">Most distant</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_stars_with_resolved_images" title="List of stars with resolved images">With resolved images</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_multiplanetary_systems" title="List of multiplanetary systems">With multiple exoplanets</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_brown_dwarfs" title="List of brown dwarfs">Brown dwarfs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_red_dwarfs" title="List of red dwarfs">Red dwarfs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_white_dwarfs" title="List of white dwarfs">White dwarfs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_novae_in_the_Milky_Way_galaxy" title="List of novae in the Milky Way galaxy">Milky Way novae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_supernovae" title="List of supernovae">Supernovae</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_supernova_candidates" title="List of supernova candidates">Candidates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_supernova_remnants" title="List of supernova remnants">Remnants</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_planetary_nebulae" title="List of planetary nebulae">Planetary nebulae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_stellar_astronomy" title="Timeline of stellar astronomy">Timeline of stellar astronomy</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Substellar_object" title="Substellar object">Substellar object</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Brown_dwarf" title="Brown dwarf">Brown dwarf</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Brown-dwarf_desert" title="Brown-dwarf desert">Desert</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sub-brown_dwarf" title="Sub-brown dwarf">Sub</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planet" title="Planet">Planet</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Galactic_year" title="Galactic year">Galactic year</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Galaxy" title="Galaxy">Galaxy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guest_star_(astronomy)" title="Guest star (astronomy)">Guest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gravity" title="Gravity">Gravity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intergalactic_star" title="Intergalactic star">Intergalactic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planet-hosting_stars" class="mw-redirect" title="Planet-hosting stars">Planet-hosting stars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tidal_disruption_event" title="Tidal disruption event">Tidal disruption event</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Stars" title="Category:Stars">Category</a></li> <li><span class="nowrap"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:He1523a.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/He1523a.jpg/13px-He1523a.jpg" decoding="async" width="13" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/He1523a.jpg/20px-He1523a.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/He1523a.jpg/26px-He1523a.jpg 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="207" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Stars" title="Portal:Stars">Stars portal</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Nebulae699" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231" /><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Nebulae" title="Template:Nebulae"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Nebulae" title="Template talk:Nebulae"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Nebulae" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Nebulae"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Nebulae699" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Nebula" title="Nebula">Nebulae</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%">Visible nebula</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dark_nebula" title="Dark nebula">Dark nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diffuse_nebula" class="mw-redirect" title="Diffuse nebula">Diffuse nebula</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Emission_nebula" title="Emission nebula">Emission nebula</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_nebula" title="Planetary nebula">Planetary nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Supernova_remnant" title="Supernova remnant">Supernova remnant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nova_remnant" title="Nova remnant">Nova remnant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/H_II_region" title="H II region">H II region</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Reflection_nebula" title="Reflection nebula">Reflection nebula</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Variable_nebula" title="Variable nebula">Variable nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protoplanetary_nebula" title="Protoplanetary nebula">Protoplanetary nebula</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Pre-stellar_nebulae" title="Category:Pre-stellar nebulae">Pre-stellar nebulae</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Giant_molecular_cloud" class="mw-redirect" title="Giant molecular cloud">Giant molecular cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bok_globule" title="Bok globule">Bok globule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evaporating_gaseous_globule" title="Evaporating gaseous globule">Evaporating gaseous globule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solar_nebula" class="mw-redirect" title="Solar nebula">Solar nebula</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%">Stellar nebula</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Nova_remnant" title="Nova remnant">Nova remnant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protoplanetary_nebula" title="Protoplanetary nebula">Protoplanetary nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wolf%E2%80%93Rayet_nebula" title="Wolf–Rayet nebula">Wolf–Rayet nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Integrated_Flux_Nebula" title="Integrated Flux Nebula">Integrated Flux Nebula</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Post-stellar_nebulae" title="Category:Post-stellar nebulae">Post-stellar nebulae</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_nebula" title="Planetary nebula">Planetary nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Supernova_remnant" title="Supernova remnant">Supernova remnant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pulsar_wind_nebula" title="Pulsar wind nebula">Pulsar wind nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Superbubble" title="Superbubble">Supershell</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%">Clouds</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Interstellar_cloud" title="Interstellar cloud">Interstellar cloud</a> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Molecular cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Infrared_cirrus" title="Infrared cirrus">Infrared cirrus</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/High-velocity_cloud" title="High-velocity cloud">High-velocity cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/H_I_region" title="H I region">H I region</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%">Morphology</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bipolar_nebula" title="Bipolar nebula">Bipolar nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pinwheel_nebula" title="Pinwheel nebula">Pinwheel nebula</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%">Intergalactic blobs</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Lyman-alpha_blob" title="Lyman-alpha blob">Lyman-alpha blob</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="List-Class article"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/Symbol_list_class.svg/16px-Symbol_list_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/Symbol_list_class.svg/23px-Symbol_list_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/Symbol_list_class.svg/31px-Symbol_list_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Lists_of_nebulae" title="Lists of nebulae">Lists</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_diffuse_nebulae" title="List of diffuse nebulae">Diffuse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_largest_nebulae" title="List of largest nebulae">Largest Nebulae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_planetary_nebulae" title="List of planetary nebulae">Planetary</a> (PNe)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_protoplanetary_nebulae" title="List of protoplanetary nebulae">Protoplanetary</a> (PPNe)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_supernova_remnants" title="List of supernova remnants">Supernova remnants</a> (SNRs)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align:center;;width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cometary_knot" title="Cometary knot">Cometary knot</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"><div><div class="hlist"> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Nebulae" title="Category:Nebulae">Category</a></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Commons page"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/20px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/40px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/category:Nebula" class="extiw" title="commons:category:Nebula">Commons</a></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wiktionary-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="Wiktionary page"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Wiktionary-logo.svg/16px-Wiktionary-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Wiktionary-logo.svg/24px-Wiktionary-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Wiktionary-logo.svg/32px-Wiktionary-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="370" data-file-height="350" /></a></span> <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/en:nebula" class="extiw" title="wikt:en:nebula">Wiktionary</a></li></ul> </div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235" /></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Star_formation406" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3" style="text-align: center;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231" /><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Star_formation_navbox" title="Template:Star formation navbox"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Star_formation_navbox" title="Template talk:Star formation navbox"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Star_formation_navbox" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Star formation navbox"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Star_formation406" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Star_formation" title="Star formation">Star formation</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%">Object classes</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Interstellar_medium" title="Interstellar medium">Interstellar medium</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Molecular cloud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bok_globule" title="Bok globule">Bok globule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dark_nebula" title="Dark nebula">Dark nebula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Young_stellar_object" title="Young stellar object">Young stellar object</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protostar" title="Protostar">Protostar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/T_Tauri_star" title="T Tauri star">T Tauri star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pre-main-sequence_star" title="Pre-main-sequence star">Pre-main-sequence star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Herbig_Ae/Be_star" title="Herbig Ae/Be star">Herbig Ae/Be star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Herbig%E2%80%93Haro_object" title="Herbig–Haro object">Herbig–Haro object</a></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="2" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/LH_95.jpg/80px-LH_95.jpg" decoding="async" width="80" height="86" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/LH_95.jpg/120px-LH_95.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/LH_95.jpg/160px-LH_95.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3622" data-file-height="3877" /></span></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%">Theoretical concepts</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Initial_mass_function" title="Initial mass function">Initial mass function</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jeans_instability" title="Jeans instability">Jeans instability</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kelvin%E2%80%93Helmholtz_mechanism" title="Kelvin–Helmholtz mechanism">Kelvin–Helmholtz mechanism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nebular_hypothesis" title="Nebular hypothesis">Nebular hypothesis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_migration" title="Planetary migration">Planetary migration</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="3" style="text-align: center;"><div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Star_formation" title="Category:Star formation"><b>Category</b></a></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Symbol_portal_class.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="Portal"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Symbol_portal_class.svg/16px-Symbol_portal_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Symbol_portal_class.svg/23px-Symbol_portal_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Symbol_portal_class.svg/31px-Symbol_portal_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Portal:Stars" title="Portal:Stars"><b>Stars portal</b></a></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Commons page"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/20px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/40px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Star_formation" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Star formation"><b>Commons</b></a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235" /></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Molecules_detected_in_outer_space800" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231" /><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Molecules_detected_in_outer_space" title="Template:Molecules detected in outer space"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Molecules_detected_in_outer_space" title="Template talk:Molecules detected in outer space"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Molecules_detected_in_outer_space" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Molecules detected in outer space"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Molecules_detected_in_outer_space800" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Molecules detected in outer space</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Molecule" title="Molecule">Molecules</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Diatomic_molecule" title="Diatomic molecule">Diatomic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aluminium_monochloride" title="Aluminium monochloride">Aluminium monochloride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aluminium_monofluoride" title="Aluminium monofluoride">Aluminium monofluoride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aluminium(II)_oxide" title="Aluminium(II) oxide">Aluminium(II) oxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Argonium" title="Argonium">Argonium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbon_cation" class="mw-redirect" title="Carbon cation">Carbon cation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbon_monophosphide" title="Carbon monophosphide">Carbon monophosphide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbon_monosulfide" title="Carbon monosulfide">Carbon monosulfide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbon_monoxide" title="Carbon monoxide">Carbon monoxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyano_radical" title="Cyano radical">Cyano radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diatomic_carbon" title="Diatomic carbon">Diatomic carbon</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fluoromethylidynium&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Fluoromethylidynium (page does not exist)">Fluoromethylidynium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Helium_hydride_ion" title="Helium hydride ion">Helium hydride ion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_chloride" title="Hydrogen chloride">Hydrogen chloride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_fluoride" title="Hydrogen fluoride">Hydrogen fluoride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen" title="Hydrogen">Hydrogen</a> (molecular)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydroxyl_radical" title="Hydroxyl radical">Hydroxyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imidogen" title="Imidogen">Imidogen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iron(II)_oxide" title="Iron(II) oxide">Iron(II) oxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magnesium_monohydride" title="Magnesium monohydride">Magnesium monohydride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methylidyne_radical" title="Methylidyne radical">Methylidyne radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nitric_oxide" title="Nitric oxide">Nitric oxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nitrogen" title="Nitrogen">Nitrogen</a> (molecular)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oxygen" title="Oxygen">Oxygen</a> (molecular)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phosphorus_monoxide" title="Phosphorus monoxide">Phosphorus monoxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phosphorus_mononitride" title="Phosphorus mononitride">Phosphorus mononitride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Potassium_chloride" title="Potassium chloride">Potassium chloride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silicon_carbide" title="Silicon carbide">Silicon carbide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silicon_monoxide" title="Silicon monoxide">Silicon monoxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silicon_monosulfide" title="Silicon monosulfide">Silicon monosulfide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sodium_chloride" title="Sodium chloride">Sodium chloride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sodium_iodide" title="Sodium iodide">Sodium iodide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sulfanyl" title="Sulfanyl">Sulfanyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sulfur_mononitride" title="Sulfur mononitride">Sulfur mononitride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sulfur_monoxide" title="Sulfur monoxide">Sulfur monoxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Titanium(II)_oxide" title="Titanium(II) oxide">Titanium(II) oxide</a></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="9" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Nitrous_oxide" title="Nitrous oxide"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Nitrous-oxide-3D-balls.png/60px-Nitrous-oxide-3D-balls.png" decoding="async" width="60" height="24" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Nitrous-oxide-3D-balls.png/90px-Nitrous-oxide-3D-balls.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Nitrous-oxide-3D-balls.png/120px-Nitrous-oxide-3D-balls.png 2x" data-file-width="1100" data-file-height="441" /></a></span> <br /><br /><br /><br /> <span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Ethanol" title="Ethanol"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Ethanol-3D-balls.png/60px-Ethanol-3D-balls.png" decoding="async" width="60" height="41" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Ethanol-3D-balls.png/90px-Ethanol-3D-balls.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Ethanol-3D-balls.png/120px-Ethanol-3D-balls.png 2x" data-file-width="1100" data-file-height="754" /></a></span> <br /><br /><br /><br /> <span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Buckminsterfullerene" title="Buckminsterfullerene"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Buckminsterfullerene-perspective-3D-balls.png/60px-Buckminsterfullerene-perspective-3D-balls.png" decoding="async" width="60" height="63" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Buckminsterfullerene-perspective-3D-balls.png/120px-Buckminsterfullerene-perspective-3D-balls.png 1.5x" data-file-width="1056" data-file-height="1100" /></a></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Triatomic_molecule" title="Triatomic molecule">Triatomic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aluminium(I)_hydroxide" class="mw-redirect" title="Aluminium(I) hydroxide">Aluminium(I) hydroxide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Aluminium_isocyanide&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Aluminium isocyanide (page does not exist)">Aluminium isocyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Amino_radical" title="Amino radical">Amino radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbon_dioxide" title="Carbon dioxide">Carbon dioxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbonyl_sulfide" title="Carbonyl sulfide">Carbonyl sulfide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=CCP_radical&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="CCP radical (page does not exist)">CCP radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Halonium_ion" title="Halonium ion">Chloronium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diazenylium" title="Diazenylium">Diazenylium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dicarbon_monoxide" title="Dicarbon monoxide">Dicarbon monoxide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Disilicon_carbide&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Disilicon carbide (page does not exist)">Disilicon carbide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethynyl_radical" title="Ethynyl radical">Ethynyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formyl_radical&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Formyl radical (page does not exist)">Formyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_cyanide" title="Hydrogen cyanide">Hydrogen cyanide</a> (HCN)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_isocyanide" title="Hydrogen isocyanide">Hydrogen isocyanide</a> (HNC)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_sulfide" title="Hydrogen sulfide">Hydrogen sulfide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydroperoxyl" title="Hydroperoxyl">Hydroperoxyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iron(II)_cyanide" title="Iron(II) cyanide">Iron cyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Isoformyl&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Isoformyl (page does not exist)">Isoformyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magnesium_cyanide" title="Magnesium cyanide">Magnesium cyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Magnesium_isocyanide&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Magnesium isocyanide (page does not exist)">Magnesium isocyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methylene_(compound)" title="Methylene (compound)">Methylene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methylidynephosphane" title="Methylidynephosphane">Methylidynephosphane</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diazenylium" title="Diazenylium">N<sub>2</sub>H<sup>+</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nitrous_oxide" title="Nitrous oxide">Nitrous oxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nitroxyl" title="Nitroxyl">Nitroxyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ozone" title="Ozone">Ozone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Potassium_cyanide" title="Potassium cyanide">Potassium cyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sodium_cyanide" title="Sodium cyanide">Sodium cyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide" title="Sodium hydroxide">Sodium hydroxide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Silicon_carbonitride&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Silicon carbonitride (page does not exist)">Silicon carbonitride</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=C-Silicon_dicarbide&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="C-Silicon dicarbide (page does not exist)">c-Silicon dicarbide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=SiNC&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="SiNC (page does not exist)">SiNC</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide" title="Sulfur dioxide">Sulfur dioxide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Thioformyl&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Thioformyl (page does not exist)">Thioformyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thioxoethenylidene" title="Thioxoethenylidene">Thioxoethenylidene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Titanium_dioxide" title="Titanium dioxide">Titanium dioxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tricarbon" title="Tricarbon">Tricarbon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Trihydrogen_cation" title="Trihydrogen cation">Trihydrogen cation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Water" title="Water">Water</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#Molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Four<br />atoms</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acetylene" title="Acetylene">Acetylene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ammonia" title="Ammonia">Ammonia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyyne" title="Polyyne">Cyanoethynyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interstellar_formaldehyde" title="Interstellar formaldehyde">Formaldehyde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fulminic_acid" title="Fulminic acid">Fulminic acid</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=HCCN&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="HCCN (page does not exist)">HCCN</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide" title="Hydrogen peroxide">Hydrogen peroxide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Hydromagnesium_isocyanide&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Hydromagnesium isocyanide (page does not exist)">Hydromagnesium isocyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Isocyanic_acid" title="Isocyanic acid">Isocyanic acid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thiocyanic_acid" title="Thiocyanic acid">Isothiocyanic acid</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ketenyl&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ketenyl (page does not exist)">Ketenyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methyl_cation" class="mw-redirect" title="Methyl cation">Methyl cation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methyl_radical" title="Methyl radical">Methyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Methylene_amidogen&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Methylene amidogen (page does not exist)">Methylene amidogen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propynylidyne" title="Propynylidyne">Propynylidyne</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Protonated_carbon_dioxide&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Protonated carbon dioxide (page does not exist)">Protonated carbon dioxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protonated_hydrogen_cyanide" title="Protonated hydrogen cyanide">Protonated hydrogen cyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Silicon_tricarbide&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Silicon tricarbide (page does not exist)">Silicon tricarbide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thiocyanic_acid" title="Thiocyanic acid">Thiocyanic acid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thioformaldehyde" title="Thioformaldehyde">Thioformaldehyde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tricarbon_monosulfide" title="Tricarbon monosulfide">Tricarbon monosulfide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tricarbon_monoxide" title="Tricarbon monoxide">Tricarbon monoxide</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#Molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Five<br />atoms</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ammonium" title="Ammonium">Ammonium</a> ion</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyyne" title="Polyyne">Butadiynyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbodiimide" title="Carbodiimide">Carbodiimide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyanamide" title="Cyanamide">Cyanamide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyanoacetylene" title="Cyanoacetylene">Cyanoacetylene</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cyanoformaldehyde&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Cyanoformaldehyde (page does not exist)">Cyanoformaldehyde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyanomethyl" title="Cyanomethyl">Cyanomethyl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyclopropenylidene" title="Cyclopropenylidene">Cyclopropenylidene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Formic_acid" title="Formic acid">Formic acid</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Isocyanoacetylene&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Isocyanoacetylene (page does not exist)">Isocyanoacetylene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ketene" title="Ketene">Ketene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methane" title="Methane">Methane</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methoxy" class="mw-redirect" title="Methoxy">Methoxy radical</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Methylenimine&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Methylenimine (page does not exist)">Methylenimine</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Propadienylidene&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Propadienylidene (page does not exist)">Propadienylidene</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Protonated_formaldehyde&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Protonated formaldehyde (page does not exist)">Protonated formaldehyde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silane" title="Silane">Silane</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Silicon-carbide_cluster&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Silicon-carbide cluster (page does not exist)">Silicon-carbide cluster</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#Molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Six<br />atoms</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acetonitrile" title="Acetonitrile">Acetonitrile</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cyanobutadiynyl_radical&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Cyanobutadiynyl radical (page does not exist)">Cyanobutadiynyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyclopropenone" title="Cyclopropenone">Cyclopropenone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diacetylene" title="Diacetylene">Diacetylene</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=E-Cyanomethanimine&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="E-Cyanomethanimine (page does not exist)">E-Cyanomethanimine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethylene" title="Ethylene">Ethylene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Formamide" title="Formamide">Formamide</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=HC4N&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="HC4N (page does not exist)">HC<sub>4</sub>N</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ketenimine" class="mw-redirect" title="Ketenimine">Ketenimine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methanethiol" title="Methanethiol">Methanethiol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methanol" title="Methanol">Methanol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methyl_isocyanide" title="Methyl isocyanide">Methyl isocyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyyne" title="Polyyne">Pentynylidyne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propynal" class="mw-redirect" title="Propynal">Propynal</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Protonated_cyanoacetylene&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Protonated cyanoacetylene (page does not exist)">Protonated cyanoacetylene</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#Molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Seven<br />atoms</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acetaldehyde" title="Acetaldehyde">Acetaldehyde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Acrylonitrile" title="Acrylonitrile">Acrylonitrile</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Vinyl_cyanide" class="mw-redirect" title="Vinyl cyanide">Vinyl cyanide</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyanopolyyne" title="Cyanopolyyne">Cyanodiacetylene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethylene_oxide" title="Ethylene oxide">Ethylene oxide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Glycolonitrile" title="Glycolonitrile">Glycolonitrile</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hexatriynyl_radical" title="Hexatriynyl radical">Hexatriynyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methyl_isocyanate" title="Methyl isocyanate">Methyl isocyanate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methylamine" title="Methylamine">Methylamine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propyne" title="Propyne">Propyne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vinyl_alcohol" title="Vinyl alcohol">Vinyl alcohol</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#Molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Eight<br />atoms</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acetic_acid" title="Acetic acid">Acetic acid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Acrolein" title="Acrolein">Acrolein</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aminoacetonitrile" title="Aminoacetonitrile">Aminoacetonitrile</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cyanoallene&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Cyanoallene (page does not exist)">Cyanoallene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethanimine" title="Ethanimine">Ethanimine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Glycolaldehyde" title="Glycolaldehyde">Glycolaldehyde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyyne" title="Polyyne">Hexapentaenylidene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methyl_formate" title="Methyl formate">Methyl formate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyyne" title="Polyyne">Methylcyanoacetylene</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#Molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Nine<br />atoms</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acetamide" title="Acetamide">Acetamide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyanopolyyne" title="Cyanopolyyne">Cyanohexatriyne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dimethyl_ether" title="Dimethyl ether">Dimethyl ether</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethanethiol" title="Ethanethiol">Ethanethiol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethanol" title="Ethanol">Ethanol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyyne" title="Polyyne">Methyldiacetylene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/N-Methylformamide" title="N-Methylformamide">N-Methylformamide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Octatetraynyl_radical" title="Octatetraynyl radical">Octatetraynyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propene" class="mw-redirect" title="Propene">Propene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propionitrile" title="Propionitrile">Propionitrile</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#Molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Ten<br />atoms<br />or more</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acetone" title="Acetone">Acetone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Benzene" title="Benzene">Benzene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Benzonitrile" title="Benzonitrile">Benzonitrile</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Buckminsterfullerene" title="Buckminsterfullerene">Buckminsterfullerene</a> (C<sub>60</sub>, C<sub>60</sub><sup>+</sup>, fullerene, buckyball)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Butyronitrile" title="Butyronitrile">Butyronitrile</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/C70_fullerene" title="C70 fullerene">C<sub>70</sub> fullerene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyanopolyyne" title="Cyanopolyyne">Cyanodecapentayne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethyl_formate" title="Ethyl formate">Ethyl formate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethylene_glycol" title="Ethylene glycol">Ethylene glycol</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Heptatrienyl_radical&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Heptatrienyl radical (page does not exist)">Heptatrienyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methyl_acetate" title="Methyl acetate">Methyl acetate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyanopolyyne" title="Cyanopolyyne">Methyl-cyano-diacetylene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyyne" title="Polyyne">Methyltriacetylene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propionaldehyde" title="Propionaldehyde">Propionaldehyde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pyrimidine" title="Pyrimidine">Pyrimidine</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Deuterium" title="Deuterium">Deuterated</a><br />molecules</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ammonia" title="Ammonia">Ammonia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ammonium" title="Ammonium">Ammonium</a> ion</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Formaldehyde" title="Formaldehyde">Formaldehyde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interstellar_formaldehyde#Interstellar_reactions" title="Interstellar formaldehyde">Formyl radical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Heavy_water" title="Heavy water">Heavy water</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_cyanide" title="Hydrogen cyanide">Hydrogen cyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_deuteride" title="Hydrogen deuteride">Hydrogen deuteride</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_isocyanide" title="Hydrogen isocyanide">Hydrogen isocyanide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diazenylium" title="Diazenylium">N<sub>2</sub>D<sup>+</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propyne" title="Propyne">Propyne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Trihydrogen_cation" title="Trihydrogen cation">Trihydrogen cation</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#Molecules" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Unconfirmed</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anthracene" title="Anthracene">Anthracene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dihydroxyacetone" title="Dihydroxyacetone">Dihydroxyacetone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Glycine" title="Glycine">Glycine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Graphene" title="Graphene">Graphene</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=H2NCO%2B&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="H2NCO+ (page does not exist)">H<sub>2</sub>NCO<sup>+</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hemolithin" title="Hemolithin">Hemolithin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbon" title="Carbon">Linear C<sub>5</sub></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Methoxyethane" title="Methoxyethane">Methoxyethane</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Naphthalene" title="Naphthalene">Naphthalene cation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phosphine" title="Phosphine">Phosphine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pyrene" title="Pyrene">Pyrene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silylidyne" title="Silylidyne">Silylidyne</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_interstellar_and_circumstellar_molecules#See_also" title="List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules">Related</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abiogenesis" title="Abiogenesis">Abiogenesis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Astrobiology" title="Astrobiology">Astrobiology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Astrochemistry" title="Astrochemistry">Astrochemistry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atomic_and_molecular_astrophysics" title="Atomic and molecular astrophysics">Atomic and molecular astrophysics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chemical_formula" title="Chemical formula">Chemical 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mechanism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Homochirality" title="Homochirality">Homochirality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intergalactic_dust" title="Intergalactic dust">Intergalactic dust</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interplanetary_medium" title="Interplanetary medium">Interplanetary medium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interstellar_medium" title="Interstellar medium">Interstellar medium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iron%E2%80%93sulfur_world_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Iron–sulfur world theory">Iron–sulfur world theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kerogen" title="Kerogen">Kerogen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Molecules_in_stars" title="Molecules in stars">Molecules in stars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nexus_for_Exoplanet_System_Science" title="Nexus for Exoplanet System Science">Nexus for Exoplanet System Science</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Organic_compound" title="Organic compound">Organic compound</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outer_space" title="Outer space">Outer space</a></li> <li><a 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