The Pipe Dark Nebula
Credit & Copyright:
Jerry Lodriguss
The dark nebula predominant at the lower left of the
above photograph is known as the Pipe Nebula.
The dark clouds, suggestively shaped like smoke rising from a pipe,
are caused by absorption of background starlight
by dust.
These dust clouds can be traced all the way to the
Rho Ophiuchi nebular clouds on
the right.
The brightest star in the field is
Antares.
Many types of nebula are highlighted here: the red are
emission nebula,
the blue are
reflection nebula,
and the dark are
absorption nebula.
This picture has been
digitally enhanced.