A close look at part of the Coalsack Nebula

This video takes a close-up look at a new image from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope. It shows part of the huge cloud of dust and gas known as the Coalsack Nebula, close to the Southern Cross in the southern Milky Way. The dust in this nebula absorbs and scatters the light from background stars, making many of them appear fainter and redder.