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The Pelican Nebula, IC 5070 in Cygnus
The Pelican Nebula (IC 5070), a beautiful emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, right next to the more famous North America Nebula.
This cosmic pelican is located about 1,800 light-years away and spans over 30 light-years across. The rich red and orange glow comes from hydrogen gas ionized by young, hot stars, while dark tendrils of interstellar dust carve out the nebula’s “beak” and “eye.” Within these clouds, new stars are actively forming, their radiation sculpting the surrounding gas into intricate shapes.
The Pelican Nebula is a favorite target for astrophotographers because of its fine textures and complex interplay of light and shadow. It’s part of a massive star-forming region in our Milky Way — a reminder that our galaxy is still hard at work building new suns.
From Earth, it’s just a tiny patch in the sky near Deneb, but through the camera and telescope, it becomes an epic landscape of creation and beauty.
Acquisition Details: 70mm Meade Quad APO Astrograph, AVX mount, QHY183C CMOS camera, Optolong L-eXtreme dual band narrowband filter, (126x120s) 4 hours 12 minutes of data taken on August 8, 2025. Processed using DSS, SAS, Ps.
The Pelican Nebula, IC 5070 in Cygnus
The Pelican Nebula (IC 5070), a beautiful emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, right next to the more famous North America Nebula.
This cosmic pelican is located about 1,800 light-years away and spans over 30 light-years across. The rich red and orange glow comes from hydrogen gas ionized by young, hot stars, while dark tendrils of interstellar dust carve out the nebula’s “beak” and “eye.” Within these clouds, new stars are actively forming, their radiation sculpting the surrounding gas into intricate shapes.
The Pelican Nebula is a favorite target for astrophotographers because of its fine textures and complex interplay of light and shadow. It’s part of a massive star-forming region in our Milky Way — a reminder that our galaxy is still hard at work building new suns.
From Earth, it’s just a tiny patch in the sky near Deneb, but through the camera and telescope, it becomes an epic landscape of creation and beauty.
Acquisition Details: 70mm Meade Quad APO Astrograph, AVX mount, QHY183C CMOS camera, Optolong L-eXtreme dual band narrowband filter, (126x120s) 4 hours 12 minutes of data taken on August 8, 2025. Processed using DSS, SAS, Ps.