Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Ophiuchus (Oph)  ·  Contains:  10 Sco)  ·  13 c02 Sco  ·  13.04  ·  13.63  ·  14 Sco)  ·  14 nu. Sco  ·  18 Oph  ·  19 omi Sco  ·  20 Sco)  ·  21 Sco)  ·  22 i Sco  ·  23 Sco)  ·  23 tau Sco  ·  25 Sco  ·  4 psi Oph  ·  7 Oph  ·  7 chi Oph  ·  8 Oph  ·  8 Sco A)  ·  8 bet02 Sco  ·  8 phi Oph  ·  9 Oph  ·  9 Sco)  ·  9 ome Oph  ·  9 ome01 Sco  ·  91 Aegina  ·  Akrab (β1 Sco  ·  Al Niyat (σ Sco  ·  Al Niyat (τ Sco  ·  Alniyat  ·  And 945 more.
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Rho Ophiuchi & Blue Horsehead, Michel Makhlouta
Rho Ophiuchi & Blue Horsehead, Michel Makhlouta

Rho Ophiuchi & Blue Horsehead

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Rho Ophiuchi & Blue Horsehead, Michel Makhlouta
Rho Ophiuchi & Blue Horsehead, Michel Makhlouta

Rho Ophiuchi & Blue Horsehead

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Description

The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is a complex of interstellar clouds with different nebulae.

The many spectacular colors of the Rho Ophiuchi clouds highlight the many processes that occur there. The blue regions shine primarily by reflected light. Blue light from the Rho Ophiuchi star system and nearby stars reflects more efficiently off this portion of the nebula than red light. The Earth's daytime sky appears blue for the same reason.

The red and yellow regions shine primarily because of emission from the nebula's atomic and molecular gas.

The dark brown regions are caused by dust grains - born in young stellar atmospheres - which effectively block light emitted behind them. The Rho Ophiuchi star clouds, well in front of the globular cluster M4 visible here on the upper right, are even more colorful than humans can see. At an estimated distance of about 460 light-years, it is one of the closest star-forming regions to the Solar System.

The Blue Horsehead is a reflection nebula in the Scorpius constellation that is lit by Nu Scorpii.

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Rho Ophiuchi & Blue Horsehead, Michel Makhlouta