Coalsack Nebula

The Coalsack Nebula is the most prominent dark nebula in the sky, located about 600 light-years away in Crux. It spans roughly 7 by 5 degrees and appears as a striking dark patch against the bright southern Milky Way, easily visible to the naked eye.

Best seen with the naked eye or binoculars from the southern hemisphere. No telescope is needed — the Coalsack is visible as an obvious dark void next to the Southern Cross. Look for the subtle variations in opacity and the small bright cluster NGC 4609 (C98) at its edge. Best in autumn and winter.

Known to southern hemisphere cultures for millennia. Aboriginal Australians see it as the head of an Emu in the sky. European explorers noted it from the early 1500s. It was one of the first dark nebulae recognized as an interstellar dust cloud rather than a true hole in the stars.