Sh2-33 – Burgundy and Chocolate

Often described as a “dark globule,” Sh2-33 comprises mainly oxygen and carbon molecules rather than the typical lone hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur ions whose photons illuminate emission nebulas found in the Sharpless Catalogue.

There is plenty of red ionized hydrogen gas in the area, but it’s not primarily a part of Sh2-33. The color of that hydrogen combines with the dust to create a deep, wine-colored hue. Sh2-33 lives in the Serpens constellation approximately 360 light years away.