Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2026 February 20 [2]A starfield with a light, orange-tinged background has a dark nebula that looks like a flying ghost visible near the middle. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. B93: A Dark Interstellar Ghost Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Christian Bertincourt; Text: [4]Keighley Rockcliffe ([5]NASA [6]GSFC, [7]UMBC [8]CSST, [9]CRESST II) Explanation: "A ghost in the Milky Way…” says Christian Bertincourt, the astrophotographer behind [10]this striking image of Barnard 93 (B93). The 93rd entry in [11]Barnard’s Catalogue of Dark Nebulae, B93 lies within the [12]Small Sagittarius Star Cloud ([13]Messier 24), where its darkness stands in [14]stark contrast to bright stars and gas in the background. In some ways, B93 is really like a [15]ghost, because it contains gas and dust that was dispersed by [16]the deaths of stars, like [17]supernovas. B93 appears as a dark void not because it is empty, but because its [18]dust blocks the light emitted by more distant stars and glowing gas. Like other dark nebulas, some gas from [19]B93, if dense and [20]massive enough, will eventually [21]gravitationally condense to form new stars. If so, then [22]once these stars ignite, B93 will transform from a dark ghost into a brilliant [23]cradle of newborn stars. Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [24]< | [25]Archive | [26]Submissions | [27]Index | [28]Search | [29]Calendar | [30]RSS | [31]Education | [32]About APOD | [33]Discuss | [34]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell ([38]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [39]Specific rights apply. [40]NASA Web Privacy, [41]Accessibility, [42]Notices; A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC, [46]NASA Science Activation & [47]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2602/B93_bertincourt_1178.png 3. https://app.astrobin.com/u/BERTINCOURT 4. https://kerockcliffe.com/ 5. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/keighley.e.rockcliffe 6. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/ 7. https://physics.umbc.edu/research/astrophysics/ 8. https://csst.umbc.edu/directory/ 9. https://cresst2.umd.edu/ 10. https://app.astrobin.com/i/s3hdtc 11. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1919ApJ....49....1B/abstract 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220407.html 13. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-24/ 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230129.html 15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost 16. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/science-highlights/the-death-throes-of-stars/ 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap960623.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231201.html 19. http://www.messier.seds.org/more/m024_b93.html 20. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pLbkUmVzXMs/hq720.jpg 21. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/ 22. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/science-highlights/exploring-the-birth-of-stars/ 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260218.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260219.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 30. https://apod.com/feed.rss 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260220 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260221.html 35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 41. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 44. https://www.nasa.gov/ 45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 46. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 47. http://www.mtu.edu/