The Snake Nebula from CFHT
Explanation:
What slithers overhead? The dark winding lanes visible in part of the
constellation of
Ophiuchus belong to the
Snake Nebula.
Also known as
Barnard 72, the
Snake Nebula is a series of
dark absorption clouds made up of
molecular gas and interstellar dust.
Interstellar
dust grains -
composed predominantly of
carbon - absorb visible starlight and reradiate much of it in the
infrared.
This absorption causes stars behind the
clouds to be obscured from view, hence the appearance of
starless voids on the sky.
Molecular clouds like the
Snake Nebula are places where
new stars are likely to form.
The
Snake Nebula,
pictured above, lies about 650
light-years away and spans the angular width of a
full moon.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
