APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Dark Bok Globules in IC 2944
Explanation: Explanation : The dark spots in the above picture are not photographic defects but an unusual type of interstellar cloud known as a Bok globule . Bok globules, named after astronomer Bart Bok who studied them extensively, are small dark clouds made of gas and dust that are typically condensing to form a star or stars . These Bok globules are found in front of a glowing H II region known as IC 2944.
| Date | December 29, 1996 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit and Copyright: David Malin, Anglo Australian Observartory |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |