Wisps of dust fill the space between the stars. This dust is usually invisible, subtly actingto dim the light of more distant stars. Sometimes this dust is thick and prominent as dark patches onotherwise bright emission nebulae. Other times this dust may show itself by reflecting the light ofbright, nearby stars. Because bright stars tend to be blue, and because dust reflects blue light moreeasily than red, the resulting reflection nebula usually appears blue. Pictured above is the reflectionnebula Sharpless 2-1 in the constellation of Scorpius.
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