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Credit & Copyright: Bob Franke
Explanation:
Obscuring the rich starfields of northern Cygnus, dark nebula LDN 988
lies near the center of
this cosmic skyscape.
Composed with telescope and camera, the scene is some 2 degrees
across.
That corresponds to 70 light-years at the estimated 2,000 light-year
distance of LDN 988.
Stars are forming within
LDN 988,
part of a larger complex of
dusty molecular clouds
along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy sometimes
called the Northern Coalsack.
In fact, nebulosities associated with young stars abound in the region,
including variable star V1331 Cygni shown in the inset.
At the tip of a long dusty filament and partly surrounded by a curved
reflection nebula,
V1331 is thought to
be a T-Tauri star, a sun-like
star still in the early stages of formation.
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Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Cygnus - dark nebula - star formation
Publications with words: Cygnus - dark nebula - star formation
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