Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cygnus (Cyg)  ·  Contains:  Cocoon nebula  ·  IC 5146
IC5146 - The Cocoon Nebula, Jason Guenzel
IC5146 - The Cocoon Nebula
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IC5146 - The Cocoon Nebula

IC5146 - The Cocoon Nebula, Jason Guenzel
IC5146 - The Cocoon Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

IC5146 - The Cocoon Nebula

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Description

Some 4000 light years away in the constellation Cygnus lies IC5146, The Cocoon Nebula. This nebular structure lies at the tip of an extended filamentary molecular cloud (Barnard 168). In this close-up view of the tip region, it becomes apparent that there is quite a bit of activity in a space only about 15 light years across. The central star that illuminates much of the core is estimated to be only 100,000 years old. The rest of the cloud is a combination of hydrogen emission nebula and dusty reflection nebula illuminated from within. Several dark lanes and diffuse structures can be seen as the collapsing pre-stellar clouds are disrupted by nearby emerging stars carving out their own space. Here we have a front row seat as a dark nebula devours itself.

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