Edward Emerson Barnard (1857-1923) was one of the truly great observational astronomers of any era, discovering 16 comets and the proper motion of what is known today as Barnard's Star, or V2500 Ophiuchi. Perhaps his lasting contribution is the dark nebulae his Milky Way photography uncovered, and there are some nice examples on-show in the summer sky. Dark nebulae are clouds of interstellar gas and dust of sufficient density to totally or partially obscure light from background stars. Looking like gaping holes in the fabric of space, they are fascinating objects to observe or image.
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