LDN 1235, known as the Shark Nebula./Courtesy of Timothy Martin

The gas and dust floating in space resemble sharks, hence the name "Shark Nebula" for LDN 1235. It is located about 650 light-years away from Earth (one light-year is the distance light travels in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers). The dark dust seen in this image possesses properties similar to tobacco smoke and is created within the cold atmospheres of massive stars. The powerful light and fast stellar winds produced as massive stars expel gas and then contract under gravity carve the dust clouds into intricate shapes.