| Nebula | |
|---|---|
.png) Artist's illustration of the Local Bubble where the Eos cloud is located. The Sun is in the center. | |
| Observation data | |
| Distance | 94 pc |
| Notable features | Located near the edge of the Local Bubble |
The Eos Cloud is a dark molecular cloud of Hydrogen gas located just 94 parsecs from the Sun near the edge of the Local Bubble. The cloud has a small amount of carbon monoxide contained within it.[1] It is predicted that in 5.7 million years, the Eos cloud will photoevaporate.[2][3]
The cloud was discovered by Blakesley Burkhart and collaborators using H2 far ultraviolet fluorescent line emission. Its close proximity (one of the closest clouds to Earth) to Earth allows for easier observation of how these molecular clouds form and dissipate.[1] Their findings were published in 2025; Burkhart initially found indications of the hydrogen cloud in data released from the Far-Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (FIMS) instrument.[4][5]
The cloud is named after Eos, the Greek goddess of the dawn.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "A vast molecular cloud, long invisible, is discovered near our solar system". phys.org. April 28, 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
- ^ Burkhart, Blakesley; Dharmawardena, Thavisha E.; Bialy, Shmuel; Haworth, Thomas J.; Cruz Aguirre, Fernando; Jo, Young-Soo; Andersson, B.-G.; Chung, Haeun; Edelstein, Jerry; Grenier, Isabelle; Hamden, Erika T.; Han, Wonyong; Hoadley, Keri; Lee, Min-Young; Min, Kyoung-Wook (2025-04-28). "A nearby dark molecular cloud in the Local Bubble revealed via H2 fluorescence". Nature Astronomy. 9 (7): 1064–1072. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02541-7. ISSN 2397-3366. PMC 12274131. PMID 40687774.
- ^ "Astronomers Detect Huge Molecular Hydrogen Cloud near Our Solar System". Sci.News. 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
- ^ Miller, Katrina (2025-04-29). "A Massive, Glow-in-the-Dark Cloud Lurking in Our Cosmic Backyard". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2025-06-01. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
- ^ Kudisch, Brianna (2025-05-01). "N.J. astrophysicist announces astonishing interstellar discovery — 10 hours after giving birth". nj. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
- ^ Kuthunur, Sharmila (2025-04-30). "'It's huge, and it's been hidden for this whole time': Gigantic, glow-in-the-dark cloud near Earth surprises astronomers". Live Science. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
