The Largest Single Structure in the Sky A massive cloud of gas called “Eos.”  ©  Thomas Müller (HdA/MPIA) and Thavisha Dharmawardena (NYU)

A giant Molecular Cloud, the largest single structure in the sky discovered.

An international group of scientists, led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick astrophysicist, has discovered a massive cloud of gas called “Eos.” It’s one of the biggest single objects ever found in the sky and one of the closest to our solar system.

This giant cloud is made mostly of molecular hydrogen and has remained hidden until now. Scientists spotted it using far-ultraviolet light — a new method that could help find more clouds like it in the future.

Named after the Greek goddess of dawn, Eos is not a threat to Earth. Because it’s so close, it gives scientists a rare chance to study how clouds in space work. These clouds, known as the interstellar medium, are made of gas and dust and are where new stars are born.

“This opens up new possibilities for studying the molecular universe,” said Blakesley Burkhart, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences who led the team and is an author on the study. Burkhart is also a research scientist at the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute in New York.

source Eurekalert