The Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146
My second pass at this object. Last year I approached this mostly using narrowband filters. I used some of that data again here but really couldn't find much additional detail in it. This is shot relatively short using R,G,B filters with a black and white camera and many more exposures in just black and white... to get as much of the faint outlying structure as possible. I am lucky to live in a near-rural area and apparently it's dark enough to catch details in these dark parts of the nebula and bring them to life.
"The Cocoon Nebula, also known as IC 5146, is a relatively well-known nebula located in the constellation Cygnus, about 3,000 light-years from Earth. It is a combination of both an emission and reflection nebula, surrounded by a dark molecular cloud. Here’s an overview of its main characteristics:
Structure and Composition:
The Cocoon Nebula is a star-forming region that contains ionization, dust absorption and reflection. It appears as a small, bright core (the "cocoon") surrounded by the dark lanes of dust.
In the central region, new stars are forming, and their intense radiation ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow with the characteristic red color of an emission nebula.
At the same time, the dust around the young stars reflects their light, making parts of the nebula visible as a reflection nebula.
Star Formation:
The Cocoon Nebula contains a young star cluster known as Collinder 470, which is embedded in the nebula.
The star at the center of the nebula is particularly young and massive. Its energy drives the emission that we see from the surrounding gas. This star, along with others in the nebula, is in the early stages of stellar evolution.
Dark Nebula (Barnard 168):
A key feature of the Cocoon Nebula is its association with a long, dark cloud known as Barnard 168, which forms a "trail" leading away from the nebula.
This dark nebula absorbs background light and obscures stars behind it, creating a stark contrast with the glowing core of the Cocoon Nebula.
Size and Distance:
The Cocoon Nebula spans about 12 light-years across, with the surrounding dark nebula stretching even further.
It is located about 3,000 light-years away from Earth, making it a relatively close target for amateur astronomers with telescopes.
Visibility:
Although the Cocoon Nebula is relatively faint, it can be observed with medium to large telescopes, particularly under dark skies. It is located near the star Pi Cygni in the constellation Cygnus."
Askar 120APO: 840mm f/7
ZWO ASI533MM Mono Camera at -20C
6x Ha,Sii,Oiii @10m
20x R,G,B @3m
195x Lum @3m
total integration: 19 hours
Guided on ZWO AM5
Processed with PixInsight, Ps
The Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146
My second pass at this object. Last year I approached this mostly using narrowband filters. I used some of that data again here but really couldn't find much additional detail in it. This is shot relatively short using R,G,B filters with a black and white camera and many more exposures in just black and white... to get as much of the faint outlying structure as possible. I am lucky to live in a near-rural area and apparently it's dark enough to catch details in these dark parts of the nebula and bring them to life.
"The Cocoon Nebula, also known as IC 5146, is a relatively well-known nebula located in the constellation Cygnus, about 3,000 light-years from Earth. It is a combination of both an emission and reflection nebula, surrounded by a dark molecular cloud. Here’s an overview of its main characteristics:
Structure and Composition:
The Cocoon Nebula is a star-forming region that contains ionization, dust absorption and reflection. It appears as a small, bright core (the "cocoon") surrounded by the dark lanes of dust.
In the central region, new stars are forming, and their intense radiation ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow with the characteristic red color of an emission nebula.
At the same time, the dust around the young stars reflects their light, making parts of the nebula visible as a reflection nebula.
Star Formation:
The Cocoon Nebula contains a young star cluster known as Collinder 470, which is embedded in the nebula.
The star at the center of the nebula is particularly young and massive. Its energy drives the emission that we see from the surrounding gas. This star, along with others in the nebula, is in the early stages of stellar evolution.
Dark Nebula (Barnard 168):
A key feature of the Cocoon Nebula is its association with a long, dark cloud known as Barnard 168, which forms a "trail" leading away from the nebula.
This dark nebula absorbs background light and obscures stars behind it, creating a stark contrast with the glowing core of the Cocoon Nebula.
Size and Distance:
The Cocoon Nebula spans about 12 light-years across, with the surrounding dark nebula stretching even further.
It is located about 3,000 light-years away from Earth, making it a relatively close target for amateur astronomers with telescopes.
Visibility:
Although the Cocoon Nebula is relatively faint, it can be observed with medium to large telescopes, particularly under dark skies. It is located near the star Pi Cygni in the constellation Cygnus."
Askar 120APO: 840mm f/7
ZWO ASI533MM Mono Camera at -20C
6x Ha,Sii,Oiii @10m
20x R,G,B @3m
195x Lum @3m
total integration: 19 hours
Guided on ZWO AM5
Processed with PixInsight, Ps