Astronomy Picture of the Day . Dark Markings of the Sky . ... Barnard's markings are dark nebulae, interstellar clouds of obscuring gas and dust. Moon and Morning Star . ... Cataloged as Sharpless 308 it lies some 5,200 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major and covers over 2/3 degree on the sky (compared with 1/2 degree for the Full Moon). ... Clouds couldn't hide this bright Full Moon as it rose last week over the medieval castle of Tourrette-Levens near Nice, France. ...