NGC1999

NGC 1999 is a dust-filled bright nebula with a vast hole of empty space represented by a black patch of sky, as can be seen in the photograph. It is a reflection nebula, and shines from the light of the variable star V380 Orionis.

It was previously believed that the black patch was a dense cloud of dust and gas which blocked light that would normally pass through, called a dark nebula. Analysis of this patch by the infrared telescope Herschel (October 9, 2009), which has the capability of penetrating such dense cloud material, resulted in continued black space. This led to the belief that either the cloud material was immensely dense or that an unexplained phenomenon had been detected.

Technical Data

Bortle Scale / SQM-L	Bortle 4/5 / ---
Period	February 2019
Primary Scope	CCA 250/1250
Camera	CCD KAF-8300
Mount	AP 1100 GTO CP4
Total Exposure Time	6h
Composition	HRGB
Location	Val Imagna (Bergamo) Italy