What appears to be a hole in the sky is actually Barnard 68, a molecular cloud that lies about 500 light-years away in the constellation of Ophiuchus, the Serpent-holder.
This dark "Bok globule" is composed of dense clouds of dust and gas that appear opaque in the visible light spectrum. Using near-infrared imaging, astronomers at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) have discovered about 3,700 stars concealed behind the half a light year that B68 spans. About 1,000 of these are visible on the infrared spectrum.
Barnard 68's opacity means that its interior is a very cold place--about −257 °C. Studying these dark clouds can give us insight as to how our own Solar Sytsem formed. Though the physical processes are debated and not well understood, it is widely hypothesized that star formation occurs in molecular clouds due to their low temperatures and high densities. If the outside gravitational force exceeds the pressure exerted from within the cloud for long enough, the cloud will collapse. Gravity will heat the material as it collapses inward, causing it to reach a temperature and density suitable to sustain fusion.
Observation of Barnard 68 has revealed that, once every 250,000 years or so, it oscillates or "jiggles" in a way similar to that of a soap bubble, indicating that the balance between the opposing forces may be tipping. The frigid darkness of B68 may be the future birthplace of new light and warmth.
-RLO
Sources: http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso9934/
http://eso.org/public/news/eso0102/
Image credit: FORS Team , 8.2-meter VLT Antu , ESO
