This cloud hosts a stellar nursery containing hundreds of newly formed stars.

[2] The Taurus molecular cloud is only 140 pc (430 ly) away from Earth, making it possibly the nearest large star formation region.

[6][7] The Taurus molecular cloud was identified in the past as a part of the Gould Belt, a large structure surrounding the solar system.

More recently (January 2020) the Taurus molecular cloud was identified as being part of the much larger Radcliffe wave, a wave-shaped structure in the local arm of the Milky Way.

Members of this region are suited for direct imaging of young exoplanets, which glow brightly in infrared wavelengths.