An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

An extended complex of → molecular clouds in the constellation → Ophiuchus, apparently shaped like a smoker’s pipe, about 5° in size and located about 5° away from the → Galactic center. It has a mass of 10⁴ solar masses, lies at a distance of about 130 pc, and is among the closest molecular clouds to Earth. The Pipe Nebula includes a number of → dark nebulae, including Barnard 59, 65, 66, 67, 77, 244, and 256. It is of particular interest because of the almost complete lack of
→ star formation within it. This cloud is an extremely rare example of a relatively massive molecular cloud that may be in a state of evolution prior to the onset of significant star-forming activity.

See also: → pipe; → nebula.