Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyViking
Stunning image! There are some very interesting patterns in the dust, almost seems like a shearing effect in places, I wonder what could have caused that?
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The dust is being affected not only by the starlight but also by the internal forces within the clouds, things like turbulence generated by the cooling of the materials within the clouds, as well as heating via the aforementioned starlight (the turbulence generates pressure within the clouds). Also, these clouds have been found to have very very weak non localised magnetic fields. Some of the dust grains become slightly charged due to the effects of the starlight hitting their surfaces and emitting electrons (photoelectric effect), becoming very weakly ionised, hence the magnetic fields. Plus you also have the gravitational fields of each of the clouds affecting one another...slightly for the most part, but the effect is there.