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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

🌌 NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

The Snake Nebula in Ophiuchus

Date: 1996-08-11

The Snake Nebula in Ophiuchus

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Explanation:

What slithers there? The dark curly lanes visible in part of the constellation Ophiuchus belong to the Snake Nebula. The Snake Nebula is a series of dark absorption clouds. Interstellar dust grains - composed predominantly of carbon - absorb visible starlight and reradiate much of it in the infrared. Infrared is a band of light so red humans can't see it. This absorption causes stars in the background to be blocked from our view - and hence the appearance of noticeable voids on the sky.