The Cocoon Nebula

The Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146) is a young stellar nursery located approximately 2,500 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. Spanning about 15 light-years across, it is a region where new stars are actively forming within a dense cloud of gas and dust. At the heart of the nebula, intense radiation from newly born stars ionizes the surrounding hydrogen, causing it to glow in deep shades of red. Surrounding this bright emission region are vast clouds of interstellar dust that both reflect and ...