IC 4592, known as the Blue Horsehead Nebula, is a reflection nebula in the constellation Scorpius, about 400 light-years from Earth. The deep blue glow arises from interstellar dust reflecting light from nearby hot, young stars — most prominently Nu Scorpii. This ethereal cloud’s equine shape gives the nebula its nickname and reveals the delicate structures often hidden within our galaxy’s dust lanes. Capturing it requires dark skies and long exposures to tease out its faint, expansive features.

This image was taken from Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain, a location known for its dark rural skies ideal for widefield astrophotography. The combination of excellent sky conditions and careful processing reveals not only the ghostly nebula but the broader complex of dark and reflective dust that envelops this region of the Milky Way.