Deep-sky object class · e.g. The Horsehead Nebula (B33)
Dark Nebula
A dense cloud of interstellar dust so opaque that it blots out the light of the stars and glowing gas behind it, appearing as a dark silhouette. Catalogued systematically by E. E. Barnard, dark nebulae are the cold, dusty reservoirs — often molecular clouds — from which new stars condense.
Highlights
- ›Opaque dust silhouetted against the light behind it
Examples & related concepts
Across the encyclopedia
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Horsehead Nebula
- Associated withBarnard Catalogue of Dark Nebulae
- Associated withInterstellar Dust
- Associated withMolecular Clouds
- Associated withBok Globule
- Associated withBok Globule
- Associated withThe Horsehead Nebula
- Associated withThe Cone Nebula
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.