Bok globule

Bok globule
Bok globule
	The "finger of God" in the Carina Nebula
Characteristics
Type	Isolated Dark nebulae
Found	HII regions
Mass range	2M☉-50M☉
Chemical composition	Molecular hydrogen, carbon oxides, helium, and silicate dust
Size range	~1ly
External links
	Media category
	Q213936
Additional Information
Discovered	Bart Bok, 1940s

In astronomy, Bok globules are isolated and relatively small dark nebulae containing dense cosmic dust and gas from which star formation may take place. Bok globules are found within H II regions, and typically have a mass of about 2^[1] to 50 solar masses contained within a region about a light year or so across (about 4.5×10⁴⁷ m³).^[2] They contain molecular hydrogen (H₂), carbon oxides and helium, and around 1% (by mass) silicate dust. Bok globules most commonly result in the formation of double- or multiple-star systems.^[3]

^ Michael Szpir (May–June 2001). "Bart Bok's Black Blobs". American Scientist. Archived from the original on 2017-04-24. Retrieved 2008-11-19. Bok globules such as Barnard 68 are only about half a light-year across and weigh in at about two solar masses
^ Clemens, Dan P.; Yun, João Lin; Meyer, Mark H. (March 1991). "BOK globules and small molecular clouds – Deep IRAS photometry and (C-12)O spectroscopy". Astrophysical Journal Supplement. 75: 877. Bibcode:1991ApJS...75..877C. doi:10.1086/191552.
^ Launhardt, R.; Sargent, A. I.; Henning, T.; Zylka, R.; Zinnecker, H. (10–15 April 2000). "Binary and multiple star formation in Bok globules". Birth and Evolution of Binary Stars, Poster Proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 200 on The Formation of Binary Stars. Potsdam, Germany: Bo Reipurth and Hans Zinnecker. p. 103. Bibcode:2000IAUS..200P.103L.