---
title: "Dark nebula"
id: "dark-nebula"
project: "Deep Space Exploration Project Publication2"
url: "https://hedronlabs.clickhelp.co/articles/deep-space-exploration-project-publication2/dark-nebula"
updated: 2023-08-24T16:48:34Z
---

# Dark nebula

##  Dark nebula
 
A dark nebula or absorption nebula is a type of [interstellar cloud](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_cloud), particularly [molecular clouds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_cloud), that is so dense that it obscures the [visible wavelengths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_spectrum) of [light](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light) from objects behind it, such as background stars and [emission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emission_nebula) or [reflection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflection_nebula) nebulae. The [extinction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_%28astronomy%29) of the light is caused by [interstellar dust](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust) grains located in the coldest, densest parts of molecular clouds. Clusters and large complexes of dark nebulae are associated with Giant Molecular Clouds. Isolated small dark nebulae are called [Bok globules](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bok_globule). Like other interstellar dust or material, things it obscures are only visible using [radio waves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_waves) in [radio astronomy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_astronomy) or [infrared](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared) in [infrared astronomy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_astronomy).