Thackeray's Globules

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Thackeray's Globules are dense, opaque dust clouds in outer space, known as globules, in the star-forming region IC 2944.

Little is known about the origin and nature of these globules in IC 2944, which were first found by astronomer A. David Thackeray in 1950. Globules are generally associated with large hydrogen-emitting star-formation regions, which give off the glowing light of hydrogen gas.

Collectively, they contain enough material to equal more than 15 times the mass of our Sun. The surrounding hydrogen-rich region, IC 2944, is filled with gas and dust illuminated and heated by a loose cluster of stars that are much hotter and more massive than our Sun. IC 2944 is relatively close by as interstellar distances go, only 5,900 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus.

They are potential sites for the formation of new stars, but are likely being eroded by the intense radiation from the nearby young stars. Reference:http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080418.html

Thackeray's globules are fractured and churning as a result of intense ultraviolet radiation from young, hot stars already energizing and heating the bright emission nebula. These and similar dark globules known to be associated with other star forming regions may ultimately be dissipated by their hostile environment -- like cosmic lumps of butter in a hot frying pan.Reference:http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030816.html