In silhouette against a crowded star field toward the constellation Scorpius, this dusty cosmic cloud evokes for some the image of an ominous dark tower.
In fact, clumps of dust and molecular gas collapsing to form stars may well lurk within the dark nebula, a structure that spans almost 40 light-years across the gorgeous telescopic view.
Known as a cometary globule, the swept-back cloud, extending from the top of the tower , is shaped by intense ultraviolet radiation from the OB association of very hot stars in NGC 6231.
That energetic ultraviolet light also powers the globule's bordering reddish glow of hydrogen gas.
Hot stars embedded in the dust can be seen as small bluish reflection nebulae.
This dark tower, NGC 6231, and associated nebulae are about 5,000 light-years away (NASA)

S2-Ha-O3 mapped as RGB
RGB data for the stars
Ha - 3 HRS bin 1
S2,O3 - 60 min each bin 2
RGB - 30 min each bin 2

Total of 6.5 Hrs

16" F8 Hypergraph telescope

Imaged from Tivoli farm Namibia