images

B72 - The Snake dark nebula

by

Jim Misti/Novapix

Reference

a-neb90-72003

Date

2007-05-01

Barnard 72 is the famous "Snake" or "S" dark nebula in Ophiuchus. It is a concentration of obscuring dust and dark matter in space that is opaque and doesn't let the stars behind show through it. Many of Barnard's dark nebulae are sites of future star formation. Barnard 72 is a few light years across and about 650 light years away.