Bok Globules in Star-Forming Region NGC 281

"Bok globules" are dense knots of dust and gas which hold the elements responsible for the formation of stars

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed these knots within our own Milky Way Galaxy. This cosmic dust is a concentration of the elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and all throughout the universe. Dark, opaque knots of gas and dust such as these were first observed by astronomer Bart Bok in the 1940s.Ā  They are absorbing light in the center of the nearby emission nebula and star-forming region, NGC 281, which is located nearly 9,500 light-years away from Earth in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia

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Object Name: Bok Globules in NGC 281

Release Date: Apr 4, 2006

Image Credits: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: P. McCullough (STScI)



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