Credit & Copyright: Anglo-Australian Telescope
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Explanation:
The dark spots in the above picture are not photographic defects but an
unusual type of interstellar cloud known as a Bok globule. Bok globules,
named after astronomer Bart Bok who studied them extensively, are small
dark clouds made of
gas and
dust that are typically condensing
to form a star or
stars.
These Bok globules are found in front of a glowing
H II
region known as IC 2499.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day