Snake Nebula
| Dark nebula | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observation data: J2000.0 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 17h 23m 30s |
| Declination | −23° 38′ |
| Distance | 650 ly (200 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | – |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 37 × 17 arcmins |
| Constellation | Ophiuchus |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | N/A ly |
| Absolute magnitude (V) | – |
| Notable features | – |
| Designations | Barnard 72 |
The Snake Nebula (also known as Barnard 72) is a dark nebula in the Ophiuchus constellation. It is a small but readily apparent S-shaped dust lane that snakes out in front of the Milky Way star clouds from the north-north-west edge of the bowl of the Pipe Nebula. Its thickness runs between 2′ and 3′ and runs around 6′ in the north-west / south-east orientation. A good view in a 4" to 6" telescope requires clear dark skies.
It is part of the much larger Dark Horse Nebula.
To the right of the Snake Nebula is Barnard 68. Below it is , , and .
External links[]
- The Snake Nebula on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
Coordinates: 
17h 23m 30s, −23° 38′ 00″
- Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (20 February 2009). "Snake in the Dark". Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA.
Categories:
- Dark nebulae
- Barnard objects
- Ophiuchus (constellation)