Dust Clouds

Dust clouds consist of graphites (carbon chains) and silicates (compositions with O, Fe, Mg, Si: [Fe, Mg] SiO3, [Fe, Mg]2, SiO4). These elements have been produced in former stellar generations via nuclear fusion, and have been ejected into the ambient interstellar medium (ISM) in the course of their evolution. Interstellar dust is of cardinal importance for star formation, since it emits a lot of energy in the near and far infrared, and is hence the main coolant of the ISM; for this is the only way for the interstellar gas to compress (under its own gravity) such as to produce new generations of stars.

Dust Cloud L1177
Maksutov-Newton, Canon 1100Da, 21.4 hrs.

The dust cloud L1177 bears its name from the CATALOGUE OF BRIGHT NEBULAE, published in 1965 by Beverley T. Lynds (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona). The cloud reflects the light of a couple of very bright stars, but is partly also somewhat transparent. Its eastern part exhibits a cone of light, superimposed onto the dust nebula. Here, we witness a classical example of a newly forming star (a so-called proto-star). It's blowing off material along its rotation axis (the counter-part is invisible, most likely because it is blown in a direction behind the dust 'curtain', away from us). This process is vital, since the forming star can this way efficiently get rid of angular momentum, as this is the only way for the star to further contract until at some point nuclear fusion may commence!