Perseus molecular cloud explained
| Perseus Molecular Cloud |
| Type: | giant molecular cloud |
| Epoch: | J2000.0[1] |
| Constellation: | Perseus |
| Dist Ly: | 956–1047 |
| Dist Pc: | 293–321 [2] |
| Size V: | 6°×2° |
| Names: | Perseus Molecular Cloud, Perseus Cloud, Per MCld, Per Mol Cloud, Perseus Complex, PMC |
The Perseus molecular cloud (Per MCld) is a nearby (~1000 ly) giant molecular cloud in the constellation of Perseus and contains over 10,000 solar masses of gas and dust covering an area of 6 by 2 degrees. Unlike the Orion molecular cloud it is almost invisible apart from two clusters, IC 348 and NGC 1333, where low-mass stars are formed. It is very bright at mid and far-infrared wavelengths and in the submillimeter originating in dust heated by the newly formed low-mass stars.
It shows a curious ring structure in maps made by the IRAS and MSX satellites and the Spitzer Space Telescope and has been detected by the COSMOSOMAS at microwave frequencies as a source of anomalous "spinning dust" emission.
References
- Book: Bally, J.. Walawender, J.. Johnstone, D.. Kirk, H.. Goodman, A.. The Perseus Cloud. 2008hsf1.book..308B. Handbook of Star Forming Regions, Volume I: The Northern Sky ASP Monograph Publications. 4. 308. December 2008. 978-1-58381-670-7.
- Kirk, Helen. Johnstone, Doug. Di Francesco, James. The Large- and Small-Scale Structures of Dust in the Star-forming Perseus Molecular Cloud. 2006ApJ...646.1009K. The Astrophysical Journal. 646. 2. 1009–1023. August 2006. 10.1086/503193. astro-ph/0602089 . 1173412 .
- More on THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/656/1/293
Notes and References
- NAME Perseus Cloud . 2014-03-14 .
- Ortiz-León. Gisela N.. Loinard. Laurent. Dzib. Sergio A.. Galli. Phillip A. B.. Kounkel. Marina. Mioduszewski. Amy J.. Rodríguez. Luis F.. Torres. Rosa M.. Hartmann. Lee. Boden . Andrew F.. Evans. Neal J. II. Briceño. Cesar. Tobin. John J.. The Gould's Belt Distances Survey (GOBELINS). V. Distances and Kinematics of the Perseus Molecular Cloud. The Astrophysical Journal. 2018. 10.3847/1538-4357/aada49. 2018ApJ...865...73O. 865. 1. 73. 1808.03499. 119422324. free.
