In astronomy, Bok globules are isolated and relatively small dark nebulae containing dense cosmic dust and gas from which star formation may take place.

[4][failed verification] This hypothesis was difficult to verify due to the observational difficulties of establishing what was happening inside a dense dark cloud that obscured all visible light emitted from within it.

An analysis of near-infrared observations published in 1990 confirmed that stars were being born inside Bok globules.

Methods applied so far have relied on column density derived from near-infrared extinction and even star counting in a bid to probe these objects further.

Bok globules that are irradiated by ultraviolet light from hot nearby stars exhibit stripping of materials to produce a tail.