Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


Molecular Cloud Barnard 68
<< Yesterday 2.02.2003 Tomorrow >>
Molecular Cloud Barnard 68
Credit & Copyright: FORS Team, 8.2-meter VLT Antu, ESO
Explanation: Where did all the stars go? What used to be considered a hole in the sky is now known to astronomers as a dark molecular cloud. Here, a high concentration of dust and molecular gas absorb practically all the visible light emitted from background stars. The eerily dark surroundings help make the interiors of molecular clouds some of the coldest and most isolated places in the universe. One of the most notable of these dark absorption nebulae is a cloud toward the constellation Ophiuchus known as Barnard 68, pictured above. That no stars are visible in the center indicates that Barnard 68 is relatively nearby, with measurements placing it about 500 light-years away and half a light-year across. It is not known exactly how molecular clouds like Barnard 68 form, but it is known that these clouds are themselves likely places for new stars to form. It is possible to look right through the cloud in infrared light.

News: Latest from NASA on Shuttle Tragedy

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < February 2003  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su





12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
2425262728

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.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: Barnard 68 - molecular cloud - dark nebula
Publications with words: Barnard 68 - molecular cloud - dark nebula
See also:
All publications on this topic >>