A small, dense, dark cloud of gas and dust typically 0.1-1 light-year across, representing the earliest stage of star formation where gravitational collapse is beginning. These isolated clouds appear as dark spots against the stellar background and often contain protostars in their cores.
Named after Dutch-American astronomer Bart Bok who first studied these objects systematically in the 1940s. From his surname combined with Latin 'globulus' (small sphere), reflecting their compact, roughly spherical appearance in photographs.
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