Cometary Globule 7 (CG7) is an isolated, dark interstellar cloud located in the constellation Vela, roughly 1,000 light years from Earth.
As a type of Bok globule, it is a compact molecular cloud characterized by a dense, shielded “head” and an elongated “tail” sculpted by the effects of stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation from nearby hot stars.
CG7 is itself a self-contained molecular cloud core rather than being embedded in a larger molecular cloud. Its dense material creates conditions that may support star formation.
Observations as can be seen in this image reveal Hydrogen‑alpha (Hα) emission along its rims—indicating that ionizing UV light is exciting the gas at its edges.
Imaged in LRGB and H alpha on my CDK 700 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image Acquisition and Processing: Mike Selby