Make a cloud disappear behind dust
Put a dusty screen in front of glowing gas, then add more dust. Darkness can be foreground material, rather than an empty patch of sky.
Preparing the experiment
Illustrative modelDrag to orbit · scroll to inspect
Glowing gas behind · dark dust in front · a direct beam loses light in the dust
A model of foreground obscuration, not a map of the North America Nebula’s depth. The photograph stays untouched.