IC 4604, also known as the ρ Ophiuchi Cloud Complex, is a stunning nebula situated in the constellation Ophiuchus. This picture, due to the small field of view of my telescope, contains only a small portion of the cloud complex, because I wanted to show the mysterious play of bright and dark nebulae in this region. In 2014 I captured a much wider angle picture of the complex using a 100mm Canon lens: The ρ Ophiuchi Cloud Complex.
IC 4604 is one of the closest star-forming regions to Earth, lying at a distance of approximately 460 light-years away. This nebula is characterized by its blue and brow hues, which result from the reflecting light from the nearby bright stars by the surrounding dust (blue), and the absorption by varying densities of interstellar material in the foreground (brown). The most prominent star illuminating the nebula is ρ Ophiuchi, a multiple star system containing young, hot stars, is not visible in the picture.
The region surrounding IC 4604 is rich in various astronomical phenomena, including dark nebulae, reflection nebulae, and emission nebulae, containing numerous protostars and young stellar objects. This area is a hotbed of star formation, providing astronomers with a valuable laboratory for studying the early stages of stellar evolution.
