Context : L1642 is one of the two high galactic latitude ( |b| > 30 ^ { \circ } ) clouds confirmed to have active star formation .

Aims : We examine the properties of this cloud , especially the large-scale structure , dust properties , and compact sources in different stages of star formation .

Methods : We present high-resolution far-infrared and submillimetre observations with the Herschel and AKARI satellites and millimetre observations with the AzTEC/ASTE telescope , which we combined with archive data from near- and mid-infrared ( 2MASS , WISE ) to millimetre wavelength observations ( Planck ) .

Results : The Herschel observations , combined with other data , show a sequence of objects from a cold clump to young stellar objects at different evolutionary stages .
Source B-3 ( 2MASS J04351455-1414468 ) appears to be a YSO forming inside the L1642 cloud , instead of a foreground brown dwarf , as previously classified . Herschel data reveal striation in the diffuse dust emission around the cloud L1642 .
The western region shows striation towards the NE and has a steeper column density gradient on its southern side .
The densest central region has a bow-shock like structure showing compression from the west and has a filamentary tail extending towards the east .
The differences suggest that these may be spatially distinct structures , aligned only in projection .
We derive values of the dust emission cross-section per H nucleon of \sigma _ { e } ( 250 \mu { m } ) = 0.5–1.5 \times 10 ^ { -25 } { cm } ^ { 2 } / { H } for different regions of the cloud .
Modified black-body fits to the spectral energy distribution of Herschel and Planck data give emissivity spectral index \beta values 1.8–2.0 for the different regions .
The compact sources have lower \beta values and show an anticorrelation between T and \beta .

Conclusions : Markov chain Monte Carlo calculations demonstrate the strong anticorrelation between \beta and T errors and the importance of millimetre wavelength Planck data in constraining the estimates .
L1642 reveals a more complex structure and sequence of star formation than previously known .