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Hubble Looks At Dark Nebula Causing Stars To Disappear From Sight
Some of the best space photos are taken with Hubble, and in a recently published picture of an imposing dark nebula, the telescope's prowess is on full display once more. There are countless tools at astronomers' disposal for exploring outer space. There are large telescopes on Earth, orbiters traveling around planets in our Solar System, and advanced rovers traversing Mars as we speak. Among all of these things, however, Hubble remains one of the best.
Since its launch in April 1990, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been one of the most valuable assets for space exploration. It's helped determine the age of the known universe, found two of Pluto's moons, and taken countless gorgeous photos all along the way. Hubble's showcased everything from growing stars to 'dancing' galaxies — and each new photo it shares seems to be more impressive than the last.
On November 15, NASA shared an especially eye-catching picture from the telescope. Parts of the image look like a typical view of space, but towards the top-left, the image appears pitch black. That's because Hubble is looking at a dark nebula in this photo. This particular dark nebula (known as LDN 1165) was spotted in the Cepheus constellation. It was originally detailed in 1962 as part of the Lynds’ Catalog of Dark Nebulae, but using Hubble's advanced imaging capabilities, NASA was able to get a much closer look at it.
Why Dark Nebulae Are So Fascinating
While there's nothing about space that's boring, dark nebulae are easily one of the most fascinating entities. Dark nebulae are large clouds of gas and dust and among the densest in the universe. They're so dense, in fact, that they completely absorb all visible light — including nearby stars. Dark nebulae are sometimes referred to as 'holes in the sky,' but as NASA explains, that's not actually the case. In reality, dark nebulae "may be full of activity, with stars sometimes forming inside their dense clouds."
In the case of LDN 1165, Hubble came across it while searching for protostars (stars in one of their earliest growth stages). NASA says the bright area escaping the depths of the dark nebula may be an active 'star-forming region' that's home to multiple protostars. Furthermore, LDN 1165 is more than just a pretty picture. As NASA explains, these discoveries help the organization "better understand the nature of these dark and dusty clouds and the stellar nurseries that may lurk within them." Looking forward, one can only imagine how more advanced telescopes — such as the upcoming James Webb Telescope — will be able to capture dark nebula in the near future.
