Barnard 92 (abbreviated to B92) is a

dark nebula A dark nebula or absorption nebula is a type of interstellar cloud, particularly molecular clouds, that is so dense that it obscures the visible wavelengths of light from objects behind it, such as background stars and emission or reflection ...

located in the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud. It was discovered by American astronomer

Edward Emerson Barnard Edward Emerson Barnard (December 16, 1857 – February 6, 1923) was an American astronomer. He was commonly known as E. E. Barnard, and was recognized as a gifted observational astronomer. He is best known for his discovery of the high proper m ...

. B92 was initially referred to as "the black hole," given its appearance, after it was first catalogued in 1913. It was later discovered to be a dark nebula, and the title is now misleading, as the name

black hole A black hole is a massive, compact astronomical object so dense that its gravity prevents anything from escaping, even light. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will form a black hole. Th ...

is used in modern

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the ...

to describe a region of

spacetime In physics, spacetime, also called the space-time continuum, is a mathematical model that fuses the three dimensions of space and the one dimension of time into a single four-dimensional continuum. Spacetime diagrams are useful in visualiz ...

in which

gravity In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...

is too strong for light to escape.

References

Stellar astronomy Dark nebulae Sagittarius (constellation) Carina–Sagittarius Arm Astronomical objects discovered in 1913 Discoveries by Edward Emerson Barnard Barnard objects {{Nebula-stub