Giant Hidden Cloud Near Earth Offers Clues to Star Formation | JQJO

Scientists have discovered a massive, previously unseen molecular cloud, named Eos, surprisingly close to Earth. Eos, roughly 40 moons wide and 3,400 times the sun's mass, was detected using far-ultraviolet light emitted by hydrogen, a method not typically used to locate such clouds. Its proximity offers a unique opportunity to study star and planet formation. The cloud's lack of carbon monoxide, usually used for detection, explains its previous elusiveness. This discovery challenges prior assumptions about the distribution of molecular clouds near our solar system.