At the top of the picture is the star Rho Ophiuchi. It and a similar reflection nebula lower in the frame lie behind and at the edge of a cloud of dust, and scattered light and drifting between the stars. The light of the bright stars is reflected and scattered by the minute dust grains, themselves oriented by magnetic fields permeating the Milky Way. The scattered light from the dust appears blue in a colour picture. Here we see the remarkable texture of the dust cloud.

This photograph is a direct copy from an early UK Schmidt blue-light plate printed without any photographic manipulation.