Dark nebulae can be seen if they obscure part of an emission or reflection nebula (eg. the Horsehead Nebula below) or if they block out background stars
A favorite target for amateurs, the thick horse-head-shaped dust cloud looms amidst the dramatic backdrop of ionized hydrogen gas courtesy of the nearby bright star Sigma Orionis. 'Only' 1500 light years away in the constellation Orion. Image was captured in early January . 30 images stacked, each 50 sec. Astronomik 14nm H-alpha filter was also used. For equipment and processing, click here. For more details on the Horsehead, click here.
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