KnowraDark nebulaDark nebulaA dense cloud of interstellar gas and dust that obscures visible light from stars or glowing nebulae behind it.BriefConnectInterstellar dust: Microscopic solid grains dispersed through the space between stars. These grains absorb and scatter visible light, creating the nebula’s silhouette.Coalsack Nebula: A prominent dark nebula in the Southern Cross, visible against the bright Milky Way. It is one of the most conspicuous naked-eye examples of stellar obscuration.Star formation: The process by which dense regions of interstellar gas and dust collapse to form stars. Gravitational collapse inside dark clouds can produce new stars.Interstellar medium: The matter and radiation occupying the space between stars in a galaxy. Dark nebulae are dense structures embedded in this galactic material.Extinction (astronomy): The reduction of astronomical light as it passes through matter between a source and an observer. Extinction explains how a foreground cloud dims background stars.Horsehead Nebula: A dark cloud in Orion shaped like a horse’s head against the glowing IC 434 nebula. Its silhouette shows a dense cloud outlined by bright background emission.Bok globule: A small, dense, isolated dark cloud of gas and dust, often associated with star formation. These compact dark nebulae can reveal individual sites of gravitational collapse.Interstellar gas: Gas, primarily hydrogen and helium, distributed between stars. Gas supplies most of a dark cloud’s mass and provides the material for star formation.Infrared astronomy: The study of celestial objects using infrared radiation. Infrared wavelengths penetrate dusty clouds more effectively than visible light.Barnard 68: A compact, nearly spherical dark cloud in Ophiuchus that blocks background stars. Its sharp boundary makes the cloud’s absorption especially clear.Show all 21Linked from 8 pagesTrifid NebulaBroader topic: Dark dust lanes cut across the bright nebula and create its three-part outline.Orion NebulaCompared with: Dark dust lanes cross the bright nebula, contrasting with its glowing gas.NebulaCompared with: Unlike bright emission nebulae, it is seen mainly as a silhouette against background stars.Show all 8