description B335 Overview
B335 is a small, isolated dark nebule classified as a Bok globule, catalogued by astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard and located in the constellation Aquila. It consists of dense molecular gas and dust at an estimated distance of roughly 500 light-years from Earth. Observations have identified a single deeply embedded protostellar object within the cloud, making B335 one of the nearest and most accessible sites for studying low-mass star formation. It has served as a benchmark test case for models of gravitational collapse in molecular clouds.
help B335 FAQ
Is B335 only a dark cloud, or is a star forming inside it?
B335 contains a deeply embedded Class 0 protostar, so it is an active site of low-mass star formation rather than an empty patch of sky. The young object also drives a bipolar molecular outflow through the surrounding gas and dust.
Why do astronomers study B335 so often?
B335 is relatively isolated and appears to contain a single dominant protostar, which makes its collapse easier to model than activity inside a crowded stellar nursery. It has been observed with facilities including Spitzer and ALMA to study infalling gas, dust structure, and outflows.
Can B335 be seen through an ordinary telescope?
B335 is a small Bok globule in Aquila and appears primarily as a dark patch blocking background starlight. Its embedded protostar is concealed at visible wavelengths, so infrared and radio instruments are needed to examine the activity inside.
How far away is B335?
Modern estimates commonly place B335 at roughly 165 parsecs, or about 540 light-years from Earth, although older studies adopted different distances. That uncertainty is why published sizes and luminosities for the globule do not always agree exactly.
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