Barnard 228: The Dark Wolf Nebula in Lupus

Explanation: These dark markings on the sky can just be found in silhouette against a rich, luminous background of stars. Seen toward the southern constellation of Lupus the Wolf, the dusty, obscuring clouds are part of the Lupus Molecular Cloud some 500 light-years distant. Packs of low mass stars are forming within them , from collapsing cores only visible at long infrared wavelengths . Still, colorful stars in Lupus add to this pretty galactic skyscape . It spans about 8 degrees, not far from the central Milky Way.