This deep exposure of the northern region of Scorpius shows a complex and beautiful area full of gas and dust. Hold your mouse cursor over the image to see object identifications.

In this amazing area we can see red emission nebulae glowing from the light of ionized hydrogen; blue reflection nebulae reflecting the light of hot young blue stars; dark nebulae that block the light of stars behind them; a rare orange-yellow reflection nebula near Antares; and numerous open star clusters and globular clusters.

The entire area is part of a large molecular cloud in Scorpius and Ophiuchus. A molecular cloud is a dense area of gas and dust in space made mostly of molecular hydrogen and helium. It is a birth place of stars, which form from the material in the cloud.

Some of the objects in the image include:

• SH2-7 - large red emission nebula around Delta Scorpii.
• SH2-1 and VdB 99, emission and reflection nebulae around Pi Scorpii.
• IC 4592, a large reflection nebula around Nu Scorpii.
• IC 4604, a blue reflection nebula around the triple star Rho Ophiuchi.
• IC 4606, a red-yellow reflection nebula around Antares.
• GN 16.34.01, a large emission around Tau Scorpii.
• SH2-9, a red emission nebula around Sigma Scorpii.
• M4, a large globular cluster next to Antares.
• B44, a large dark nebula that runs east from Antares/Rho area.
• B45, a dark nebula north east from Antares/Rho area.

North is to the top in the above image.

Northern Scorpius Object Type: Wide Field Area Size: 20° x 13.4° Constellation: Scorpius Image Field Centered At: RA: 16h 20m 14s Dec: -22° 44' 45"