IC 5146: The Cocoon Nebula

IC 5146: The Cocoon Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright:
Luis Romero Ventura

Explanation:
Inside the Cocoon Nebula is a newly developing cluster of stars.

Cataloged as
IC 5146, the beautiful
nebula is nearly 15
light-years wide.

Soaring high in
northern summer night skies,
it’s located some 4,000 light years away toward the
constellation of the Swan
(Cygnus).

Like other star forming regions, it stands out
in red, glowing, hydrogen gas
excited by young, hot stars,
and dust-reflected starlight
at the edge of an otherwise invisible
molecular cloud.

In fact, the bright star found near the center of this nebula is likely
only a few hundred thousand years old, powering the nebular glow as it
clears out a cavity in the
molecular cloud‘s star forming dust and gas.

A 48-hour long integration resulted in this
exceptionally deep color view tracing
tantalizing features within and surrounding the dusty
stellar
nursery.