Editing Ophiuchus (section)

===Deep-sky objects===
[[File:Rho Ophiuchi.jpg|thumb|right|Infrared light view of [[Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex|Rho Ophiuchi]] [[molecular cloud]] complex from [[NASA]]]]
[[File:Rho Ophiucus Widefield.jpg|thumb|right|Photo from Rogelio Bernal Andreo of the [[Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex|Rho Ophiuchi]] [[molecular cloud]] complex]]

Ophiuchus contains several [[star cluster]]s, such as [[Open Cluster IC 4665|IC&nbsp;4665]], [[NGC 6633]], [[Globular Cluster M9|M9]], [[Globular Cluster M10|M10]], [[Globular Cluster M12|M12]], [[Globular Cluster M14|M14]], [[Globular Cluster M19|M19]], [[Globular Cluster M62|M62]], and [[Globular Cluster M107|M107]], as well as the [[nebula]] IC&nbsp;4603-4604.

[[Messier 9|M9]] is a globular cluster which may have an extra-galactic origin.<ref name=mnras434_2_1220>{{citation
 | display-authors=1 | last1=Arellano Ferro | first1=A.
 | last2=Bramich | first2=D. M. | last3=Figuera Jaimes | first3=R.
 | last4=Giridhar | first4=Sunetra | last5=Kains | first5=N.
 | last6=Kuppuswamy | first6=K. | last7=Jørgensen | first7=U. G.
 | last8=Alsubai | first8=K. A. | last9=Andersen | first9=J. M.
 | last10=Bozza | first10=V. | last11=Browne | first11=P.
 | last12=Calchi Novati | first12=S. | last13=Damerdji | first13=Y.
 | last14=Diehl | first14=C. | last15=Dominik | first15=M.
 | last16=Dreizler | first16=S. | last17=Elyiv | first17=A.
 | last18=Giannini | first18=E. | last19=Harpsøe | first19=K.
 | last20=Hessman | first20=F. V. | last21=Hinse | first21=T. C.
 | last22=Hundertmark | first22=M. | last23=Juncher | first23=D.
 | last24=Kerins | first24=E. | last25=Korhonen | first25=H.
 | last26=Liebig | first26=C. | last27=Mancini | first27=L.
 | last28=Mathiasen | first28=M. | last29=Penny | first29=M. T.
 | last30=Rabus | first30=M. | last31=Rahvar | first31=S.
 | last32=Ricci | first32=D. | last33=Scarpetta | first33=G.
 | last34=Skottfelt | first34=J. | last35=Snodgrass | first35=C.
 | last36=Southworth | first36=J. | last37=Surdej | first37=J.
 | last38=Tregloan-Reed | first38=J. | last39=Vilela | first39=C.
 | last40=Wertz | first40=O. | last41=Mindstep Consortium 
 | title=A detailed census of variable stars in the globular cluster NGC 6333 (M9) from CCD differential photometry
 | journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
 | volume=434 | issue=2 | pages=1220–1238 | date=September 2013
 | doi=10.1093/mnras/stt1080 | doi-access=free | bibcode=2013MNRAS.434.1220A 
 | arxiv=1306.3206 | postscript=. }}</ref> [[Messier 10|M10]] is a fairly close [[globular cluster]], only 20,000&nbsp;light-years from Earth. It has a magnitude of 6.6 and is a Shapley class&nbsp;VII cluster. This means that it has "intermediate" concentration; it is only somewhat concentrated towards its center.{{sfn|Levy|2005|pp=153-54}} M12 is a globular cluster which is around 5 kiloparsecs from the Solar System.<ref name=M12Gontcharov>{{cite journal | doi=10.1093/mnras/stab2756 | title=Isochrone fitting of Galactic globular clusters – III. NGC 288, NGC 362, and NGC 6218 (M12) | year=2021 | last1=Gontcharov | first1=George A. | last2=Khovritchev | first2=Maxim Yu | last3=Mosenkov | first3=Aleksandr V. | last4=Il'In | first4=Vladimir B. | last5=Marchuk | first5=Alexander A. | last6=Savchenko | first6=Sergey S. | last7=Smirnov | first7=Anton A. | last8=Usachev | first8=Pavel A. | last9=Poliakov | first9=Denis M. | journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | volume=508 | issue=2 | pages=2688–2705| doi-access=free | arxiv=2109.13115 }}</ref> [[Messier 14|M14]] is another globular cluster which is somewhat farther away.<ref name=apj742_1_51>{{citation | display-authors=1 | last1=Boyles | first1=J. | last2=Lorimer | first2=D. R. | last3=Turk | first3=P. J. | last4=Mnatsakanov | first4=R. | last5=Lynch | first5=R. S. | last6=Ransom | first6=S. M. | last7=Freire | first7=P. C. | last8=Belczynski | first8=K. | title=Young Radio Pulsars in Galactic Globular Clusters | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | volume=742 | issue=1 | page=51 |date=November 2011 | doi=10.1088/0004-637X/742/1/51 | bibcode=2011ApJ...742...51B | postscript=. |arxiv = 1108.4402 | s2cid=118649860 }}</ref> Globular cluster M19 is [[spheroid|oblate-shaped]]<ref name=burnham1978>{{citation | first1=Robert | last1=Burnham | title=Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System | volume=2 | series=Dover Books on Astronomy | edition=2nd | publisher=[[Courier Dover Publications]] | date=1978 | isbn=978-0486235684 | page=1263 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wB9uZ9lH5bgC&pg=PA1263 | postscript=. }}</ref> with multiple different types of variable stars.<ref name=aj122_5_2587>{{citation | display-authors=1 | last1=Clement | first1=Christine M. | last2=Muzzin | first2=Adam | last3=Dufton | first3=Quentin | last4=Ponnampalam | first4=Thivya | last5=Wang | first5=John | last6=Burford | first6=Jay | last7=Richardson | first7=Alan | last8=Rosebery | first8=Tara | last9=Rowe | first9=Jason | last10=Hogg | first10=Helen Sawyer | title=Variable Stars in Galactic Globular Clusters | journal=The Astronomical Journal | volume=122 | issue=5 | pages=2587–2599 |date=November 2001 | doi=10.1086/323719 | bibcode=2001AJ....122.2587C | postscript=. |arxiv = astro-ph/0108024 | s2cid=38359010 }}</ref> M62 is a globular cluster rich in [[variable star]]s such as [[RR Lyrae variables]]<ref name=Contreras2010>{{citation
 | title=Time-series Photometry of Globular Clusters: M62 (NGC 6266), the Most RR Lyrae-rich Globular Cluster in the Galaxy?
 | last1=Contreras | first1=R. | last2=Catelan | first2=M.
 | last3=Smith | first3=H. A. | last4=Pritzl | first4=B. J.
 | last5=Borissova | first5=J. | last6=Kuehn | first6=C. A.
 | journal=The Astronomical Journal | display-authors=1
 | volume=140 | issue=6 | pages=1766–1786 | date=December 2010
 | doi=10.1088/0004-6256/140/6/1766 | bibcode=2010AJ....140.1766C | arxiv=1009.4206 | s2cid=118515997 }}</ref> and has two generations of stars with different element abundances.<ref name=Milone2015>{{citation
 | title=Helium and multiple populations in the massive globular cluster NGC 6266 (M 62)
 | last1=Milone | first1=A. P.
 | journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
 | volume=446 | issue=2 | pages=1672–1684 | date=January 2015
 | bibcode=2015MNRAS.446.1672M | arxiv=1409.7230
 | doi=10.1093/mnras/stu2198 | doi-access=free | postscript=. }}</ref> M107 is also rich in variable stars.<ref name=McCombs2013>{{citation
 | contribution=Variable Stars in the Globular Cluster M107: The Discovery of a Probable SX Phoenicis
 | last1=McCombs | first1=Thayne | last2=Reinhart | first2=E.
 | last3=Murphy | first3=B. W. | display-authors=1
 | title=AAS Meeting #221 | volume=221 | pages=250.22 | id=250.22 | date=January 2013
 | publisher=American Astronomical Society
 | bibcode=2013AAS...22125022M | postscript=. }}</ref>

The unusual [[galaxy]] merger remnant and [[starburst galaxy]] [[NGC 6240]] is also in Ophiuchus. At a distance of 400&nbsp;million light-years, this "butterfly-shaped" galaxy has two [[supermassive black hole]]s 3,000&nbsp;light-years apart. Confirmation of the fact that both [[active galactic nucleus|nuclei]] contain black holes was obtained by [[Electromagnetic spectrum|spectra]] from the [[Chandra X-ray Observatory]]. Astronomers estimate that the black holes will [[binary black hole|merge]] in another billion years. NGC&nbsp;6240 also has an unusually high rate of [[star formation]], classifying it as a [[starburst galaxy]]. This is likely due to the heat generated by the orbiting black holes and the aftermath of the [[galactic merger|collision]].<ref name="objects">{{cite book |title=300&nbsp;Astronomical Objects: A Visual Reference to the Universe |first1=Jamie |last1=Wilkins |first2=Robert |last2=Dunn |publisher=Firefly Books |date=2006 |location=Buffalo, New York |isbn=978-1-55407-175-3}}</ref> Both have [[active galactic nuclei]].<ref name="komossaetal 2003">
{{cite journal
 | last1  = Komossa  | first1  = Stefanie
 | last2 = Burwitz  | first2 = Vadim
 | last3 = Hasinger | first3 = Guenther
 | last4 = Predehl  | first4 = Peter
 | last5 = Kaastra  | first5 = Jelle S.
 | last6 = Ikebe    | first6 = Yasushi
 | display-authors = 4
 | title           = Discovery of a Binary Active Galactic Nucleus in the Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy NGC 6240 Using Chandra
 | date            = 2003
 | journal         = [[Astrophysical Journal]]
 | volume          = 582
 | issue           = 1
 | pages           = L15–L19
 | arxiv           = astro-ph/0212099
 | bibcode         = 2003ApJ...582L..15K
 | doi             = 10.1086/346145
| s2cid = 16697327
 }}</ref>

In 2006, a new nearby [[star cluster]] was discovered associated with the 4th magnitude star [[Mu Ophiuchi]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=A New Nearby Candidate Star Cluster in Ophiuchus at d = 170 pc |last=Mamajek |first=Eric E. |date=2006 |journal=Astronomical Journal |volume=132 |issue=5 |pages=2198–2205 |bibcode=2006AJ....132.2198M |doi=10.1086/508205 |arxiv=astro-ph/0609064|s2cid=14070978 }}</ref> The [[Mamajek 2]] cluster appears to be a poor cluster remnant analogous to the [[Ursa Major Moving Group]], but 7&nbsp;times more distant (approximately 170&nbsp;parsecs away). Mamajek&nbsp;2 appears to have formed in the same star-forming complex as the [[NGC 2516]] cluster roughly 135&nbsp;million years ago.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Dynamical Evolution and Spectral Characteristics of the Stellar Group Mamajek&nbsp;2 |last1=Jilinski |first1=Evgueni |last2=Ortega |first2=Vladimir G. |last3=de la Reza |first3=Jorge Ramiro |last4=Drake |first4=Natalia A. |last5=Bazzanella |first5=Bruno |name-list-style=amp |date=2009 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |volume=691 |issue=1 |pages=212–218 |bibcode=2009ApJ...691..212J |doi=10.1088/0004-637X/691/1/212 |arxiv=0810.1198|s2cid=15570695 }}</ref>

[[Barnard 68]] is a large [[dark nebula]], located 410&nbsp;light-years from Earth. Despite its diameter of 0.4&nbsp;light-years, Barnard&nbsp;68 only has twice the mass of the Sun, making it both very diffuse and very cold, with a temperature of about 16&nbsp;[[kelvin]]s. Though it is currently stable, Barnard&nbsp;68 will eventually collapse, inciting the process of [[star formation]]. One unusual feature of Barnard&nbsp;68 is its vibrations, which have a period of 250,000&nbsp;years. Astronomers speculate that this phenomenon is caused by the [[shock wave]] from a [[supernova]].<ref name="objects"/>  Barnard 68 has blocked thousands of stars visible at other wavelengths<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso9934b/ |title= The Dark Cloud B68 at Different Wavelengths |publisher= [[European Southern Observatory]]|accessdate= January 30, 2012}}</ref> and the distribution of dust in Barnard 68 has been mapped.<ref>
{{cite journal
|title=Seeing the light through the dark
|last1=Alves|first1=João
|last2=Lada|first2=Charles
|last3=Lada|first3=Elizabeth
|journal=The Messenger
|date=March 2001
|volume=103
|pages=15–20
|bibcode=2001Msngr.103....1A
|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/publications/messenger/archive/no.103-mar01/messenger-no103-1-1.pdf
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite journal
|title=Internal structure of a cold dark molecular cloud inferred from the extinction of background starlight
|last1=Alves|first1=João F.
|last2=Lada|first2=Charles J.
|last3=Lada|first3=Elizabeth A.
|journal=Nature
|date=January 2001
|volume=409
|issue=6817
|pages=159–161
|bibcode=2001Natur.409..159A
|doi=10.1038/35051509
|pmid=11196632
|s2cid=4318459 }}</ref>

The space probe [[Voyager 1]], the furthest man-made object from earth, is traveling in the direction of Ophiuchus. It is located between [[α Herculis]], [[α Ophiuchi]] and [[κ Ophiuchi]] at right ascension 17h 13m and declination +12° 25’ (July 2020).<ref>Coordinates available at [https://theskylive.com/voyager1-info The Sky Live].</ref>

In November 2022, the USA's [[National Science Foundation|NSF]] NOIRLab ([[National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory]]) announced the unambiguous identification of the nearest [[stellar black hole]] orbited by a [[G-type main-sequence star]], the system identified as [[Gaia BH1]] at around 1,560 [[light year]]s from the Sun.<ref name="2022-11-04_NSF">[https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2227/ Astronomers Discover Closest Black Hole to Earth Gemini North telescope on Hawai‘i reveals first dormant, stellar-mass black hole in our cosmic backyard], Dr [[Kareem El-Badry]] et al, USA [[National Science Foundation]] NOIRLab ([[National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory]]), 2022-11-04</ref>