IC 5146：茧状星云

2022年8月27日

IC 5146: The Cocoon Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: David Jenkins

Explanation: Inside the Cocoon Nebula is a newly developing cluster of stars. Cataloged as IC 5146, the beautiful nebula is nearly 15 light-years wide. Climbing high in northern summer night skies, it’s located some 4,000 light years away toward the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Like other star forming regions, it stands out in red, glowing, hydrogen gas excited by young, hot stars, and dust-reflected starlight at the edge of an otherwise invisible molecular cloud. In fact, the bright star found near the center of this nebula is likely only a few hundred thousand years old, powering the nebular glow as it clears out a cavity in the molecular cloud’s star forming dust and gas. A 29 hour long integration with a small telescope from Ayr, Ontario, Canada resulted in this exceptionally deep color view tracing tantalizing features within and surrounding the dusty stellar nursery.

Tomorrow’s picture: perijove passage

IC 5146：茧状星云
影像提供与版权: David Jenkins

说明: 茧状星云之内有个正在形成中的星团。编录号为IC 5146的茧状星云，座落在北半球夏季天空的天鹅座方向约4,000光年远之处，其直径将近有15光年。如同其他的恒星形成区一样，这个位在一团不可见分子云边缘的星云，其内的氢气因受到炽热年轻恒星激发而发出泛红的辉光，而部分尘埃则因反射星光而渲染成蓝色。事实上，位在星云中心附近、年龄可能只有几百万年的亮星，除了激发星云发光之外，也在可以形成恒星的分子云尘埃和气体里，慢慢清出了一个空穴。这幅摄于加拿大安大略省艾尔镇、总曝光长度为29小时的小望远镜极深空彩色影像，清楚呈现了这个满是尘埃的恒星形成区之内及周围的迷人特征结构。

明日的图片: perijove passage