The Dark Nebulae of Southern Ophiuchus

The Selected Regions of the Milky Way project will include this image taken on July 10th. I noted above average transparency, but my SQM readings were somewhat brighter than average at 21.3 at the beginning of the exposure to 21.46 near the end. Fog rolled in shortly after this exposure was completed.

Barnard comes near to waxing poetic on contemplation of this region.

"These magnificent star clouds are the finest in the sky...They are full of splendid details; one necessarily fails in an attempt to describe this wonderful region of star masses. They are like the billowy clouds of a summer afternoon; strong on the side toward the Sun, and melting away...on the other side. Forming abruptly at their western edge against a thinly star strewn space, these star clouds roll backwards toward the east in a broadening mass to fade away into the general sky...In the dimmer regions, below the great bright clouds, the dark details become more interesting and delicate...." - E.E. Barnard





Pentax 67 300mm f/4 @ f/5.6 60 minutes exposure on Fuji Acros 100 developed in Xtol.