{"id":494092,"date":"2026-07-31T14:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T04:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/image-article\/apod-2026-july-31-ngc-4372-and-the-dark-doodad\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T14:05:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T04:05:00","slug":"apod-2026-july-31-ngc-4372-and-the-dark-doodad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=494092","title":{"rendered":"APOD: 2026 July 31 \u2013 NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-secondary-navigation\">\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-wrapper z-top width-100 padding-0\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-secondary-navigation width-full border-bottom-1px text-center hds-color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-hdsnav\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"hds-secondary-nav-mobile-button display-flex tablet:display-flex desktop:display-none width-full flex-align-center 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href=\"https:\/\/asterisk.apod.com\/viewtopic.php?t=44980\" rel=\"noopener\">Discuss<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-menu-spacer\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media-detail-hero nasa-gb-align-wide width-full maxw-full margin-y-5 desktop:margin-y-7 padding-x-3 media-detail-hero--suppress-inner-media-caption hds-module alignwide wp-block-nasa-blocks-media-detail-hero\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block padding-x-0\">\n<p class=\"label margin-bottom-1\">APOD<\/p>\n<p class=\"heading-22 margin-top-0 margin-bottom-2\">Astronomy Picture of the Day<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-md margin-top-0 margin-bottom-3 media-detail-hero__subtext\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/archive\/\">Discover the cosmos!<\/a> Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-detail-hero__media margin-bottom-6\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-full\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=2048&#038;h=1307&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1307\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=2048&#038;h=1307&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A telescopic image of a dark nebula.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=2048&#038;h=1307&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=300&#038;h=191&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=768&#038;h=490&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=1024&#038;h=654&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=1536&#038;h=980&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=400&#038;h=255&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=600&#038;h=383&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=900&#038;h=574&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=766&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/apod\/apod\/2026\/july\/DARK-DOODAD_2048.jpg?w=2000&#038;h=1276&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"display-48 margin-top-0 margin-bottom-3\">NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad<\/h1>\n<div class=\"grid-row media-detail-hero__content-row\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<p class=\"p-md margin-0 media-detail-hero__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Explanation:<\/strong> The Dark Doodad Nebula drifts <a href=\"https:\/\/apod.nasa.gov\/apod\/fap\/ap210101.html\" rel=\"noopener\">through southern skies<\/a>, a tantalizing target for binoculars toward the small constellation <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Musca\" rel=\"noopener\">Musca<\/a>, The Fly. A dusty interstellar cloud, it\u2019s seen against rich starfields just south of the Coalsack Nebula and the Southern Cross. Stretching for about 3 degrees across this telescopic field of view, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dark_Doodad_Nebula\" rel=\"noopener\">the Dark Doodad<\/a> is punctuated near its southern tip (upper right) by yellowish globular star cluster <a href=\"http:\/\/spider.seds.org\/spider\/MWGC\/n4372.html\" rel=\"noopener\">NGC 4372<\/a>. Of course NGC 4372 roams the halo of our <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/resource\/the-milky-way-galaxy\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Milky Way<\/a> galaxy, a background object some 20,000 light-years away and only by chance along our line-of-sight to the Dark Doodad. About 700 light-years distant and over 30 light-years long, the Dark Doodad\u2019s well defined silhouette belongs to the <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1507.03742\" rel=\"noopener\">potentially<\/a> star-forming <a href=\"https:\/\/ui.adsabs.harvard.edu\/abs\/2024A%26A...687L...9E\/abstract\" rel=\"noopener\">Musca molecular cloud<\/a>. The dusty Dark Doodad\u2019s delightfully alliterative moniker was first coined by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.minorplanetcenter.net\/db_search\/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&#038;object_id=dicicco\" rel=\"noopener\">astro-imager and writer<\/a> Dennis di Cicco in 1986 while observing Comet Halley from the Australian outback.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tomorrow\u2019s picture: <\/strong>pixels in space\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-none desktop:display-block desktop:grid-col-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 margin-top-3 desktop:margin-top-0\">\n<table class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-table width-full\">\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-row\">\n<th scope=\"row\" class=\"label padding-y-1\">Date<\/th>\n<td class=\"p-sm padding-y-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJuly 31, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-row\">\n<th scope=\"row\" class=\"label padding-y-1\">Credit<\/th>\n<td class=\"p-sm padding-y-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/astrobares\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Alessandro Cipolat Bares<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-row\">\n<th scope=\"row\" class=\"label padding-y-1\">Authors &#038; editors:<\/th>\n<td class=\"p-sm padding-y-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRobert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Keighley Rockcliffe\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"media-detail-hero__meta-row\">\n<th scope=\"row\" class=\"label padding-y-1\">A service of:<\/th>\n<td class=\"p-sm padding-y-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.gsfc.nasa.gov\/astrophysics\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">ASD<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">NASA<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers\/goddard\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">GSFC<\/a>,<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/learn\/about-science-activation\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">NASA Science Activation<\/a> &#038; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtu.edu\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">Michigan Tech. U.<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-wide nasa-button-link padding-y-1 padding-x-0 hds-module alignwide wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-link\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/apod\/random-apod\/\"  class=\"button-primary button-primary-md link-external-false\" aria-label=\"Random APOD Generator\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"line-height-alt-1\">Random APOD Generator<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"button-primary-circle\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"height:1px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-module alignwide wp-block-smd-block-next-prev\">\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles\">\n            <a class=\"smd-next-prev__prev\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/image-article\/apod\/apod-july-30-red-sun-trough-wildfire-smoke\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-next-prev-nav-arrow hds-next-prev-arrow-prev\">\n                    <svg version=\"1.1\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"9px\" height=\"9px\" viewBox=\"0 0 9 9\"><path class=\"st0\" d=\"M3.5,4.5l3.7-3.6L6.3,0L1.8,4.5L6.3,9l0.9-0.9L3.5,4.5z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__content\">\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__prev-label\">\n                        Yesterday&#8217;s Image                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__prev\">\n                        APOD: 2026 July 30 \u2013 Red Sun trough Wildfire Smoke                    <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>            <\/a><br \/>\n            <a class=\"smd-next-prev__next smd-next-prev__disabled\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/image-article\/apod-2026-july-31-ngc-4372-and-the-dark-doodad\/#\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__content\">\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__next-label\">\n                        Tomorrow&#8217;s Image                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"smd-next-prev-buttons-titles__next\">\n                                            <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-next-prev-nav-arrow hds-next-prev-arrow-next\">\n                    <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"9px\" height=\"9px\" viewBox=\"0 0 9 9\"><path class=\"st0\" d=\"M5.5,4.5L1.8,8.1L2.7,9l4.5-4.5L2.7,0L1.8,0.9L5.5,4.5z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n<p>            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 July 31 \u2013 NGC\u2026 Today\u2019s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss \u00a0 APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. NGC 4372 [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20768],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-494092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-apod"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 5.0.0 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 July 31 \u2013 NGC\u2026 Today\u2019s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! 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