DescriptionThe Taurus molecular cloud (TMC-1) is an interstellar molecular cloud in the constellations Taurus and Auriga. This cloud hosts a stellar nursery containing hundreds of newly formed stars. The Taurus molecular cloud is only 140 pc (430 ly) away from Earth, making it possibly the nearest large star formation region. It has been important in star formation studies at all wavelengths of Electromagnetic spectrum. It is notable for containing many complex molecules, such as cyanopolyynes HCnN for n = 3,5,7,9, and cumulene carbenes H2Cn for n = 3–6. In 2007 the polyatomic anion octatetraynyl radical was detected in TMC-1, making it the second type of anion to be found in the interstellar medium and the largest such molecule detected to date. The Taurus molecular cloud was identified in the past as a part of the Gould Belt, a large structure surrounding the Solar System. More recently (January 2020) the Taurus molecular cloud was identified as being part of the much larger Radcliffe wave, a wave-shaped structure in the local arm of the Milky Way. The newly formed stars in this cloud have an age of 1–2 million years. The Taurus–Auriga association, which is the stellar association of the cloud, contains the variable star T Tauri, which is the prototype of T Tauri stars. The many young stars and the close proximity to Earth make it uniquely well-suited to search for protoplanetary disks and exoplanets around stars, and to identify brown dwarfs in the association. Members of this region are suited for direct imaging of young exoplanets, which glow brightly in infrared wavelengths.

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