Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day we feature a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. October 6, 1995 Dark Bok Globules in IC 2944 Credit: Anglo-Australian Telescope photograph by David Malin Copyright: Anglo-Australian Telescope Board The dark spots in the above picture are not photographic defects but an unusual type of interstellar cloud known as a Bok globule. Bok globules, named after astronomer Bart Bok who studied them extensively, are small dark clouds made of gas and dust that are typically condensing to form a star or stars. These Bok globules are found in front of a glowing H II region known as IC 2499. Tomorrow's picture: Apollo 12's Lunar Module Descends | Archive | Glossary | Education | About APOD | Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (GMU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA). NASA Technical Rep.: Sherri Calvo. Specific rights apply. A service of: LHEA at NASA/ GSFC