Fact Sheet
Star Blotter
Although it looks like a void in space, this dark feature is actually a cloud of cold gas and dust. The cloud absorbs the light of the stars behind it, making it look black. It's called Barnard 68 for the astronomer who discovered it. It's several hundred light-years away and spans about three trillion miles. Barnard 68 may someday collapse to give birth to a new star. [European Southern Observatory]
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