|
Credit & Copyright: Marcel Drechsler
(Baerenstein Obs.)
Explanation:
Inside the Cocoon Nebula is a newly developing cluster of stars.
The cosmic Cocoon on the upper right also punctuates
a long trail of obscuring interstellar dust clouds to its left.
Cataloged as
IC 5146,
the beautiful nebula is nearly 15 light-years wide, located
some 3,300 light years away toward the northern constellation of the Swan
(Cygnus).
Like other star forming regions, it stands out
in red, glowing, hydrogen gas
excited by young, hot stars and blue, dust-reflected starlight
at the edge of a nearly invisible
molecular cloud.
In fact, the bright star near the center of this nebula is likely
only a few hundred thousand years old, powering the nebular glow as it
slowly clears out a cavity in the
molecular cloud's star forming dust and gas.
This
exceptionally deep color view
of the Cocoon Nebula traces
tantalizing features within and surrounding the dusty
stellar
nursery.
Follow APOD on:
Facebook,
Google Plus,
Instagram, or
Twitter
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: star formation - molecular cloud
Publications with words: star formation - molecular cloud
See also: