2003/03/31 by V. Straizys, V. Straižys, K. Cernis +3 · 100 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Extinction (optical mineralogy) #Molecular cloud #Ophiuchus #Optics #Physics #Serpens #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030599
published in Astronomy and Astrophysics 405(2), 585-590 (EDP Sciences) · LaTeX, 6 pages with 3 figures, typos added
arxiv created 2003/04/03 · openalex publication_date 2003/06/19 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The distance dependence of interstellar extinction in the direction of the Aquila Rift is investigated using 473 stars observed in the Vilnius photometric system. The front edge of the dark clouds in the area is found to be at pc and the thickness of the cloud system is about 80 pc. The maximum extinction AV in the clouds is close to 3.0 mag. Two stars with larger extinction are found and discussed. Since the new distance of the clouds is larger than the previously accepted distance, the cloud system mass should be increased to which is close to the virial mass estimated from the CO velocity dispersion. Additional arguments are given in favor of the genetic relation between the Serpens and the Scorpio-Ophiuchus dark clouds.