Molecular Clouds
Molecular clouds are large, dense, and cold regions of the interstellar medium composed primarily of molecular hydrogen (H2) and other molecules such as carbon monoxide (CO), helium (He), and ammonia (NH3). These clouds are the birthplace of stars and planets, as the dense regions within them can collapse under their own gravity to form protostars. Molecular clouds are also important for the study of astrochemistry, as they contain a wide variety of molecules that can be used to study the chemical processes that occur in space. They are typically found in the spiral arms of galaxies, and can range in size from a few to hundreds of light years across.
Your Previous Searches
Random Picks
- Air Traffic Control Zones: In the context of aerospace engineering, Air Traffic Control Zones (ATCZ) are defined geographical regions that are established around controlled aerodromes for the purpose of protecting and managing air traffic in the vicinity of these aer ... Read More >>
- Neutral Buoyancy Pools: Neutral Buoyancy Pools are large water tanks used to simulate microgravity conditions for astronauts to train for spacewalks and other extravehicular activities. The pools are designed to create a neutral buoyancy environment, where the buo ... Read More >>
- Mesosphere: Mesosphere is a cloud operating system that abstracts the entire datacenter into a single pool of computing resources, simplifying the complexity of running distributed systems at scale. It provides a unified interface to manage and orchest ... Read More >>
Top News
Check out this interactive map of the early universe, considered largest ever cr...
A team of astronomers have put together the largest, most detailed map of the universe ever created – and you can explore it now....
News Source: USA Today on 2025-06-12
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is about to totally transform astronomy...
With the ability to scan the entire southern night sky every three days, the huge Vera C. Rubin Observatory could be about to start solving the mysteries of the universe, from dark matter to Planet Ni...
News Source: New Scientist on 2025-06-12
Trump's proposed science cuts will have huge consequences...
The universe will still be there to marvel at, despite brutal cuts set to hit NASA and the National Science Foundation's budgets. But the damage to future research will be long-lasting, says Chanda Pr...
News Source: New Scientist on 2025-06-11
Starlink satellites are leaking radio signals that may ruin astronomy...
Our ability to study faint radio signals from when the first stars began to form is being threatened by SpaceX's Starlink satellites, which seem to be unintentionally leaking radio signals that overpo...
News Source: New Scientist on 2025-06-09
Asteroids around Venus pose possible 'invisible threat' to Earth: Should you be ...
A swarm of large asteroids likely lurking around Venus could one day pose an "invisible threat" to Earth if left unchecked, astronomers have warned....
News Source: USA Today on 2025-06-06