It is a large, visible feature of the Milky Way's Great Rift, uniting several individually catalogued dark nebulae, including the Pipe Nebula.

It is visible from Earth only on clear moonless nights without light pollution and with low humidity.

It is also known as "Great" because it is one of the largest (in apparent size) groups of dark nebulae in the sky.

The rear of the Great Dark Horse (its rump and hind legs), is also known as the Pipe Nebula, which itself carries the designation B77, B78, and B59.

(The 'B' numbers reference entries in the Barnard Catalogue of dark nebulae.)