Cocoon Nebula (IC5146)


From the 2011 Oregon Star Party, the Cocoon Nebula in Cygnus both emits and reflects light. The red, flower-like main part is mostly hydrogen, but there is also bluish light around the edges that is caused by reflections of light from the central star. The dark path leading to the main part is a “dust lane” that partially blocks the light of stars behind it. The nebula is about 4,000 light years from Earth.

 Scope: AT111EDT at f/5.6
Mount: AP Mach1
Camera: QSI 583 at –15C
Exposure: 10 x 480s H-alpha, 30 x 120s L, 10 x 240s RGB (4 hrs 20 min total)


About Greg Marshall

I am a retired electronics engineer and after a few months of enjoying my leisure I began to miss doing product development. My astronomy hobby always needed new solutions to unique problems, so I decided that whenever I came up with a good solution I would try to make it available to others.

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