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.
Media Credits & Attribution
Credit: Anglo-Australian Telescope photograph by David Malin Copyright: Anglo-Australian Telescope Board