The typical radius of a molecular cloud is approximately 45 parsecs (pc).
Molecular clouds, crucial for star formation, are often observed at a resolution comparable to their size. According to observations, after deconvolving the data to account for observational effects, a typical molecular cloud exhibits a radius of about 45 pc. This contrasts with the beam half-power radius of the observing instrument, which in the reference example is 24 pc.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical Cloud Radius | 45 pc |
| Beam Half-Power Radius | 24 pc |
In essence, the provided reference indicates that the actual size (radius) of a molecular cloud is around 45 pc, taking into account the limitations of observational techniques.
