Cocoon Nebula IC 5146

The Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146, also known as Sh2-125, is located in the constellation Cygnus and owes its name to its distinctive appearance. A large dark nebula, known as Barnard 168, stretches away from the Cocoon like a comet’s tail. Within this dark nebula, star formation processes are occurring, with the Cocoon Nebula itself being only a visible part of this activity. At the center of the nebula lies the open star cluster Collinder 470. The light from the stars in this cluster ionizes the surrounding hydrogen, creating the gentle reflection nebulae that envelop the Cocoon.

Additionally, this image reveals extensive Hα regions that seem to dominate the entire field. (See the annotated image). Amidst the swarm of stars, there are also other remarkable objects. Numerous galaxies cataloged in the PGC, as well as some planetary nebulae such as Minkowski 1-79 and Strottner-Drechsler 2, can be found. In the upper left corner of the image, a very faint nebula, the Drechsler-Zirke Object 1, is located.

Moreover, two beautiful reflection nebulae, vdB 145 and vdB 147, can be discovered in the image. The list of LBN and LDN nebulae is extensive. Specifically, they include: LDN 1046, LDN 1012, LDN 1009, LDN 1052, LDN 1040, LDN 1045, LDN 1047, LDN 1035, LDN 1055, LBN 424, LDN 1030, LDN 1031, LDN 1042, LDN 1010, LDN 1020, LDN 1024.