The Perseus Cloud is a molecular cloud in Perseus holding two young star clusters, among the nearest places where stars are born in groups rather than alone.
At a glance
| type | nebula |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 959 light-years (294 pc) |
| its light left it | 959 years ago |
| size in the piece | about 85 light-years acrossmodel |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with. Model marks a property of the piece’s galaxy model rather than a measurement.
About Perseus Cloud
Unlike Taurus, where stars form one by one, the Perseus cloud makes them in clusters. At one end the reflection nebula NGC 1333 surrounds an embedded cluster of protostars whose jets and outflows crowd the infrared images. At the other lies IC 348, a slightly older cluster that has begun to clear the gas around it.
Between them lie dense dark cores listed in Barnard’s catalogue, and the whole chain of clouds is linked to a nearby association of young massive stars in Perseus. Its mix of stages, from collapsing cores to emerging clusters, is why it is studied so closely. The piece also has the Perseus Molecular Cloud as its own entry.
What you see in the piece
In visible light only a faint reflection nebula and a dark patch show; the infrared band reveals the clouds and the young stars inside.
Questions
How far away is the Perseus Cloud?
The Perseus Cloud is about 959 light-years (294 pc) from the Sun.
What clusters are in the Perseus Cloud?
Two young clusters: one still buried in dust and lighting a reflection nebula, the other a little older and already clearing its gas.