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The Dark Doodad Nebula is a
dark nebula
A dark nebula or absorption nebula is a type of interstellar cloud, particularly molecular clouds, that is so dense that it obscures the visible wavelengths of light from objects behind it, such as background stars and emission or reflection nebu ...
near the globular cluster NGC 4372
NGC 4372 (also known as Caldwell 108) is a globular cluster in the southern constellation of Musca. It is southwest of γ Muscae (Gamma Muscae) and west of the southern end of the Dark Doodad Nebula (Sandqvist 149), a 3° thin streak of black acr ...
, much closer than the centre of the galaxy and in the galactic plane, having a length of nearly three degrees of arc. Although officially unnamed, this long molecular cloud
A molecular cloud, sometimes called a stellar nursery (if star formation is occurring within), is a type of interstellar cloud, the density and size of which permit absorption nebulae, the formation of molecules (most commonly molecular hydroge ...
has come to be known under this name. It can be found in the southern constellation of Musca
Musca () is a small constellation in the deep southern sky. It was one of 12 constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, and it first appeared on a celestial globe in ...
(the Fly) with strong binoculars.
This cloud consists of regions of dense gas and dust, and is one of the closest star forming regions to the Solar System. It was described in ''Sky & Telescope'' as one of the finest dark nebulae—one that is "wonderful, winding, and very definite". Just to the east of the southern end of the Dark Doodad is NGC 4372.
It has also been called the Musca nebula and grouped as the Musca-Chamaeleonis Molecular Cloud.
History
The nebula was catalogued by Aage Sandqvist, astronomer atStockholm Observatory
The Stockholm Observatory ( sv, Stockholms observatorium, 050) is an astronomical observatory and institution in Stockholm, Sweden, founded in the 18th century and today part of Stockholm University. In 1931, the new Stockholm Observatory ( sv, ...
, in 1977. The name Dark Doodad was given to it by American amateur astronomer and writer Dennis di Cicco in 1986 upon seeing an image he took from Alice Springs in central Australia. Steven Coe gave it the name Sandqvist 149, because he believed it should be named after the astronomer who found it, though he acknowledges that the popular term prevails.
Images
References
External links
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nebula, Dark Doodad Musca (constellation) Dark nebulae