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#206807 08/26/12 12:30 AM
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Jackie Offline OP
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I learn something new every day: I had never heard of Bok globules. I would love to know how they got that name!
(PhysOrg.com) -- Bok globules are small interstellar clouds of very cold gas and dust that are so thick they are nearly totally opaque to visible light, although they can be studied with infrared and radio techniques. They were originally discovered as black splotches in front of dense fields of stars, and were even dubbed "holes in the heaven" because they appeared like holes in the stellar background.

Bok globules are typically less than 100 solar-masses in size, are relatively isolated, and often contain cores thought to be the embryos of new stars. It is this last feature that makes Bok globules particularly interesting to astronomers who want to use their relative simplicity to examine the very early stages of star formation under conditions much less confused than those in giant molecular cloud complexes like the Orion Nebula.

Jackie #206810 08/26/12 04:13 AM
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Probably after someone's last name. Maybe the guy who figured out what they were. ICLIU (ASCY).

Jackie #206811 08/26/12 04:15 AM
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Specifically Bart Bok.

Faldage #206812 08/26/12 04:31 AM
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>(ASCY)

maybe J. still doesn't do wiki?!

tsuwm #206817 08/26/12 11:42 AM
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Faldage #206822 08/26/12 04:05 PM
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But if SHLIU I would never have known about Bart Bok, an unknown to me compatriot who is now hanging out among the stars as Asteroid 83 Bok. That will make me sleep better tonight. Thank you Jackie!

Jackie #206831 08/26/12 11:47 PM
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You're welcome, Branny. No, tsuwm, I still don't do wiki if it's an important LU. [grumble mumble]
Thanks, Faldage.

Jackie #206846 08/27/12 02:18 AM
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Ya gotta use some care in choosing what to rely on Wikipedia for. If you wanna know how great Justin Bieber's new CD is I wouldn't trust Wikipedia. You can also generally check the sources listed in a Wiki entry. If it doesn't have any you can probably ignore it.


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