LDN 43: The Cosmic Bat Nebula

What is the most spook-tacular nebula in the galaxy? One contender is LDN 43, which bears an good resemblance to a huge cosmic bat flying amongst the celebrities on a melancholy Halloween night. Positioned about 1400 light years away in the constellation Ophiuchus, this molecular cloud is dense ample to block light no longer ideal from background stars, nevertheless from wisps of gas lit up by the nearby reflection nebula LBN 7. Removed from being a harbinger of death, this 12-light year-long filament of gas and dust is admittedly a stellar nursery. Glowing with eerie light, the bat is lit up from inside of by dense gaseous knots which own correct fashioned young stars. Celebrate: Halloween With NASA Online