Mount Palomar Observatory, Horsehead Nebula in Orion

The Horsehead Nebula is one of the most iconic nebula. For E. E. Barnard, who co-discovered the nebula, the Horsehead Nebula would greatly influence the later investigator's future photographic exploration of the sky. .

The nature of the dark nebula would remain the subject for decades. Barnard, who was specialized in Dark Nebula, first thought it were holes in the universe. Later he concluded that it was dark dust that obscured the light of the stars behind. This was the right direction. Only later was discovered that it are the birth places of new stars.

Barnard made a catalog of the Dark Nebula.

Photo ID: 5698