What is molecular cloud formation?

A molecular cloud, sometimes called a stellar nursery (if star formation is occurring within), is a type of interstellar cloud, the density and size of which permit absorption nebulae, the formation of molecules (most commonly molecular hydrogen, H2), and the formation of H II regions.

What are molecular clouds in astronomy?

molecular cloud, also called dark nebula, interstellar clump or cloud that is opaque because of its internal dust grains. The form of such dark clouds is very irregular: they have no clearly defined outer boundaries and sometimes take on convoluted serpentine shapes because of turbulence.

How do you identify molecular clouds?

It has been shown that for every CO molecule there are about 10,000 hydrogen molecules meaning that we can trace molecular hydrogen through the emission from the CO molecule. This is the primary method use to locate molecular clouds.

What is the molecular cloud stage?

Stage 1: Giant Molecular Cloud. A giant molecular cloud is a large, dense gas cloud (with dust) that is cold enough for molecules to form. Thousands of giant molecular clouds exist in the disk part of our galaxy.

How do molecular clouds form stars?

Summary: Stars form in cold, dense regions of space called molecular clouds. When the force of gravity pulling in on the cloud is greater than the strength of internal pressure pushing out, the cloud collapses into a protostar.

What are the 2 reasons molecular clouds are the perfect place for star formation?

Molecular clouds are favorable locations for star formation for two reasons: low temperature and high density. Their low temperature keeps their pressures about the same as other interstellar clouds, despite the higher density.

What is the primary constituent of a molecular cloud?

A molecular cloud is an interstellar cloud of gas and dust in which molecules can form, the most common of which is hydrogen (H2).

What is the 7 star formation?

Stars come in a variety of masses and the mass determines how radiantly the star will shine and how it dies. Massive stars transform into supernovae, neutron stars and black holes while average stars like the sun, end life as a white dwarf surrounded by a disappearing planetary nebula.

What is T Tauri stage?

T Tauri stars are pre-main-sequence stars in the process of contracting to the main sequence along the Hayashi track, a luminosity–temperature relationship obeyed by infant stars of less than 3 solar masses ( M ☉) in the pre-main-sequence phase of stellar evolution.

What are the 4 stages of a star?

The formation and life cycle of stars

• A nebula. A star forms from massive clouds of dust and gas in space, also known as a nebula.
• Protostar. As the mass falls together it gets hot.
• Main sequence star.
• Red giant star.
• White dwarf.
• Supernova.
• Neutron star or black hole.