In an almost oxymoronic juxtaposition of objects, a dark absorption nebula, Barnard 86, lies adjacent to a sparkling star cluster, NGC 6520. This scene within the dense star fields and intricate network of absorption nebulae lies within the constellation of Sagittarius, which from the perspective of the Earth, is where the galactic core lies. Looking into the direction of the galactic plane towards the galactic centre, these strange and wonderful objects tell us a story of how stars born and live. Dark nebulae like B86 are only visible as silhouettes against a bright background of stars, but they are the material from which these very stars were made of.