Nebula

The constellation Cygnus has a stellar nursery called the Cocoon Nebula; which looks like a chicken’s face. This reflection/emission nebula is more than just a pretty picture; it’s a laboratory of life, where swirling dust and gas morph into blazing suns.

The Cocoon Nebula, also known as IC5146, Caldwwell 19, SH 2-125, and Barnard 168 is 3,262 light year away and an excellent target for astrophotographers.

During the winter months, many of us immediately image M42 – The Orion Nebula. But Orion contains many other interesting targets, including NGC 2175 – The Monkey Head Nebula. Only 6,350 light years away, the Monkey Head Nebula is bright and easy to photograph, especially with narrowband filters (Hydrogen-Alpha, Sulphur-II, and Oxygen-III).

The Dumbbell Nebula, also known as Messier 27 or M27, is a prominent planetary nebula located in the constellation Vulpecula. Planetary nebulae are shells of ionized gas and dust ejected from aging stars, and despite their name, they have no direct connection with planets. Studying planetary nebulae, like M27, provides valuable insights into the late stages of stellar evolution, including the final evolution of our sun. The process of a star shedding its outer layers and forming a nebula contributes to the enrichment of the interstellar medium with heavy elements, which can later be incorporated into new stars and planetary systems.

M27 is one of the brightest and most well-known planetary nebulae in the night sky. Most planetary nebulae look small from Earth, because they are much farther away than M27. This planetary nebula is 1360 light years away. Pretty close compared to everything else that is out there.

A few years ago, I created a 15-panel mosaic of IC 1805 – The Heart Nebula. This nebula, located in Cassiopeia, has a small extension not captured in the mosaic image. I went back and imaged this portion, which is identified as NGC 896 – The Fish Head Nebula.

Because it is part of the Heart Nebula, it has the same details in that it is roughly 7,500 light years away. However, the fish head section of the heart nebula was discovered first because it is brighter than the rest of the nebula.