Scientists find ways of understanding role of molecular clouds near Milky Way disc in star formation

• ARIES (DST autonomous institute) for the first time mapped the magnetic-field "skeleton" around two small molecular clouds — L1604 and L121 — near the Milky Way disc, to quantify the role of magnetism in star formation.
• Demonstrates India's growing observational astronomy capability via the Sampurnanand 104-cm telescope, Nainital, and the indigenous AIMPOL polarimeter.
• Examinable for GS-III S&T (Indian R&D institutions, astrophysics) and Prelims (ministry/institute mapping).