Barnard 68 is a molecular cloud, dark absorption nebula or Bok globule, towards the southern constellation Ophiuchus and well within the Milky Way galaxy at a distance of about 125 parsecs (407 light-years).

[4] Careful measurements of the degree of obscuration resulted in a finely sampled and accurate mapping of the dust distribution inside the cloud.

This causes the cloud to wobble or oscillate in a manner like that of a large soap bubble or a water-filled balloon which is jiggled.

When this happens, the much smaller size of the star's envelope signals a new balance between greatly increased gravity and radiation pressure.

[3] Barnard 68's well-defined edges and other features show that it is on the verge of gravitational collapse, followed by becoming a star within the next 200,000 years or so.