Perseus molecular cloud

Perseus Molecular Cloud

Molecular cloud
Giant molecular cloud
Map of the Perseus molecular cloud
Observation data: J2000.0[1] epoch
Right ascension	03^h 35.0^m [1]
Declination	+31° 13′[1]
Distance	956–1047 ly   (293–321 [2] pc)
Apparent dimensions (V)	6°×2°
Constellation	Perseus
Designations	Perseus Molecular Cloud, Perseus Cloud, Per MCld, Per Mol Cloud, Perseus Complex, PMC [1]

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.

Perseus Molecular Cloud

Location

Annotated

Full resolution

Spitzer Space Telescope (19 December 2019)

References

1. "NAME Perseus Cloud". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
2. 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. (2018). "The Gould's Belt Distances Survey (GOBELINS). V. Distances and Kinematics of the Perseus Molecular Cloud". The Astrophysical Journal. 865 (1): 73. arXiv:1808.03499. Bibcode:2018ApJ...865...73O. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aada49. S2CID 119422324.

• Bally, J.; Walawender, J.; Johnstone, D.; Kirk, H.; Goodman, A. (December 2008). The Perseus Cloud. Vol. 4. p. 308. Bibcode:2008hsf1.book..308B. ISBN 978-1-58381-670-7. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
• Kirk, Helen; Johnstone, Doug; Di Francesco, James (August 2006). "The Large- and Small-Scale Structures of Dust in the Star-forming Perseus Molecular Cloud". The Astrophysical Journal. 646 (2): 1009–1023. arXiv:astro-ph/0602089. Bibcode:2006ApJ...646.1009K. doi:10.1086/503193. S2CID 1173412.
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