▁of ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁can ▁be ▁sub div ided ▁into ▁cloud ▁" cl umps ". ▁The ▁mole cular ▁cloud ▁cl ump ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁RC W ▁ 3 6 ▁stars ▁are ▁forming ▁is ▁Cl ump ▁ 6 ▁in ▁the ▁VM R ▁C ▁cloud . ▁ ▁Early ▁maps ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁were ▁produced ▁by ▁radio ▁teles cop es ▁that ▁trac ed ▁emission ▁from ▁several ▁types ▁of ▁mole cules ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁clouds , ▁including ▁CO , ▁O H , ▁and ▁H 2 CO . ▁More ▁detailed ▁CO ▁maps ▁were ▁produced ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁by ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁Japanese ▁astronom ers ▁using ▁the ▁N ANT EN ▁millimeter - w avel ength ▁teles cope . ▁Using ▁emission ▁from ▁C 1 8 O , ▁they ▁estimated ▁the ▁total ▁mass ▁of ▁Cloud ▁C ▁to ▁be ▁ 4 4 , 0 0 0 ▁. ▁The ▁cloud ▁maps ▁suggest ▁that ▁Cloud ▁C ▁is ▁the ▁young est ▁component ▁of ▁the ▁VM R ▁because ▁of ▁an ▁ult ra - comp act ▁H ▁II ▁region ▁associated ▁with ▁RC W ▁ 3 6 ▁and ▁several ▁sites ▁of ▁embedded ▁proto st ars , ▁while ▁H ▁II ▁regions ▁in ▁other ▁VM R ▁clouds ▁are ▁more ▁evol ved . ▁Observ ations ▁from ▁the ▁H ersch el ▁Space ▁T eles cope ▁show ▁that ▁the ▁material ▁within ▁the ▁cloud ▁is ▁organized ▁into ▁fil aments ▁and ▁RC W ▁ 3 6 ▁s its ▁near ▁the ▁south ▁end ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 0 - par sec ▁long ▁fil ament . ▁ ▁Star ▁formation ▁in ▁RC W