巴纳德68：黑暗分子云
(原标题: Barnard 68: Dark Molecular Cloud)
2023-01-29
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星星都到哪里去了？过去被认为是天空中的一个洞，现在被天文学家称为黑暗的分子云。在这里，高浓度的尘埃和分子气体几乎吸收了背景恒星发出的所有可见光。可怕的黑暗环境使分子云的内部成为宇宙中最冷、最孤立的地方。这些黑暗吸收星云中最引人注目的是一片朝向蛇夫座的云，被称为巴纳德68，如图所示。中心没有可见的恒星表明巴纳德68相对较近，测量结果显示它距离我们约500光年，直径为半光年。目前尚不清楚像巴纳德68这样的分子云是如何形成的，但已知这些云本身可能是新恒星形成的地方。事实上，巴纳德68本身已经被发现有可能坍缩并形成一个新的恒星系统。可以用红外光直接透过云层看过去。来自宇宙的明信片2022:APOD年回顾
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Where did all the stars go? What used to be considered a hole in the sky is now known to astronomers as a dark molecular cloud. Here, a high concentration of dust and molecular gas absorb practically all the visible light emitted from background stars. The eerily dark surroundings help make the interiors of molecular clouds some of the coldest and most isolated places in the universe. One of the most notable of these dark absorption nebulae is a cloud toward the constellation Ophiuchus known as Barnard 68, pictured here. That no stars are visible in the center indicates that Barnard 68 is relatively nearby, with measurements placing it about 500 light-years away and half a light-year across. It is not known exactly how molecular clouds like Barnard 68 form, but it is known that these clouds are themselves likely places for new stars to form. In fact, Barnard 68 itself has been found likely to collapse and form a new star system. It is possible to look right through the cloud in infrared light. Postcards from the Universe 2022: APOD Year in Review