The Rho Ophiucus Nebula Complex

About This Photograph

This is the fabulous Rho Ophiucus nebula complex, one of the most colorful areas of the night sky. Rho Ophiucus itself is the brightest of the three stars in the center of the blue reflection nebula on the lower right. The very bright star in the upper left is Antares, easily visible to the naked eye even in light-polluted locations. The entire area is awash in gas and dust which are made visible by a variety of mechanisms. The yellow and blue regions shine by reflecting the light of the nearby stars. Red regions shine by fluorescence: ultraviolet light from nearby stars excites hydrogen gas to emit a deep red color. The darker regions are dense clouds and filaments of dust that lie in front of the scene and are seen in silhouette.

Click here for an annotated photograph.