This image shows the young star cluster NGC6520 to the left with absorption nebula Barnard 86 lying to the right, blocking the light coming from the countless background stars in this extremely dense region of the Milky Way.
The cluster formed only a couple of millions of years ago from the dark molecular cloud.
NGC 6520 spans about 10 light years and lies about 5500 light years away in the southern constellation of Sagittarius.

OPTICS 10" Newtonian f/5.2
MOUNT Losmandy G11 equatorial
CAMERA Philips ToUCam Pro SC1 webcam
FILTERS None
EXPOSURE 60 x 20.5s
DATE/TIME 29/07/2006 11:17 UTC
LOCATION My backyard observatory in west Auckland, New Zealand