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Within some of these dark, dense and cool gaseous regions through out our galaxy,
we find the hydrogen atoms have instead combined to form MOLECULES:
In fact, all kinds of molecules exist in these dense dark regions, Carbon Monoxide (CO), NO, H2O, etc. These molecules exist inside these dense, massive cold condensations of gas called MOLECULAR CLOUDS.
Also present within both the COOL NEUTRAL HYDROGEN CLOUDS and the MOLECULAR CLOUDS is a lot of dust! Not too unlike the fine particles you see against the sunlight coming in a window..
| If the gas and DUST becomes dense enough, it becomes gravitationally bound. Such regions exist in our galaxy where atoms have become gravitationally bound to each other, and huge clouds of gas move as a single entity through space. The gas and dust in these clouds becomes thick to photons, blocking light behind it (note the blacked out region on the right): |
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