LBN 86: The Eagle Ray Nebula

This eagle ray glides across a cosmic sea. Officially cataloged as SH2-63 and LBN 86 , the dark nebula is composed of gas and dust that just happens to appear shaped like a common ocean fish . The interstellar dust nebula appears light brown as it blocks and reddens visible light emitted behind it. Dark nebulas glow primarily in infrared light , but also reflect visible light from surrounding stars. The dust in dark nebulas is usually sub-millimeter chunks of carbon, silicon, and oxygen , frequently coated with frozen carbon monoxide and nitrogen . Dark nebulas are also known as molecular clouds because they also contain relatively high amounts of molecular hydrogen and larger molecules . Previously unnamed, the here dubbed Eagle Ray Nebula is normally quite dim but has been imaged clearly over 20-hours through dark skies in Chile . Follow APOD on: Discord