Molecular Cloud
A dense and cold region of interstellar space composed primarily of molecular hydrogen, serving as the birthplace of stars. The molecular cloud associated with NGC 346 is actively forming new stars.
Source: science.nasa.gov
APODs including "Molecular Cloud"
NGC 2626 along the Vela Molecular Ridge
04/02/2023
Centered in this colorful cosmic canvas, NGC 2626 is a beautiful, bright, blue reflection nebula in the southern Milky Way. Next to an obscuring dust cloud and surrounded by reddish hydrogen emission from large H II region RCW 27 it lies within a complex of dusty molecular clouds known as the Vela Molecular Ridge. NGC 2626 is itself a cloud of interstellar dust reflecting blue light from the young hot embedded star visible within the nebula. But astronomical explorations reveal many other young stars and associated nebulae in the star-forming region. NGC 2626 is about 3,200 light-years away. At that distance this telescopic field of view would span about 30 light-years along the Vela Molecular Ridge.