Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cygnus (Cyg)  ·  Contains:  B168  ·  Cocoon Nebula  ·  IC 5146  ·  LBN 424  ·  LDN 1055  ·  Sh2-125  ·  VdB147

Image of the day 11/16/2021

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    IC 5146 - Cocoon Nebula - Stellar Daycare, Michael & Jon Norman
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    IC 5146 - Cocoon Nebula - Stellar Daycare

    Image of the day 11/16/2021

    Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
      IC 5146 - Cocoon Nebula - Stellar Daycare, Michael & Jon Norman
      Powered byPixInsight

      IC 5146 - Cocoon Nebula - Stellar Daycare

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      Description

      IC 5146, the cocoon nebula, is a spectacular emission/reflection nebulae surrounded by a (frustratingly) faint interstellar dust.  Faint as it may be, this dust plays a critical role within the cocoon nebula - acting as the source material for all the young stars that it spawns into existence.  Conversely, these young stars are the reason for the stunning pink emission region within the core.

       I found the contrast between emission and reflection regions within this nebula to be particularly interesting.  Looking into the emission region, one notices the hues shift between deep magenta and bubblegum pink.  This effect comes as the reflection and emission light sources within the nebula essentially overlap and the signals are mixed.  As you migrate further away from the core, the intensity of the emission drops down and the reflection dominates - resulting in a fairly unique lavender colour.  Finally, leaving the core, the remainder of the frame consists of faint dust punctuated with pockets of soft blue reflections.  There is technically a faint hydrogen alpha molecular cloud surrounding the whole frame but 12 hours of exposure barely registered above the read noise in the background.  To be explored further on a faster system….

      Michael and Jonathan Norman

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      IC 5146 - Cocoon Nebula - Stellar Daycare, Michael & Jon Norman

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