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Credit & Copyright: Piotr Czerski
Explanation:
When does a nebula look like a comet?
In this crowded starfield covering over two degrees within the
high-flying
constellation of the Swan
(Cygnus), the eye is drawn to the Cocoon Nebula.
A compact star forming region, the
cosmic
Cocoon punctuates a nebula bright in
emission and
reflection on the lower right,
with a long trail of interstellar dust clouds to the left, making the entire complex
appear a bit
like a comet.
Cataloged as
IC 5146,
the central bright head of the nebula spans about 10
light years, while the dark
dusty tail spans nearly 100 light years.
Both are located about 2,500 light years away.
A bright star near the colorful nebula's center likely
supplies power
and helps
clear out a cavity.
The long dusty filaments of the tail, although dark in this
visible light image, hide
stars in the process of
formation.
The
featured image was captured in July from
Death Valley,
California,
USA.
APOD's main NASA site is
moving:
From apod.nasa.gov to
science.nasa.gov/apod
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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
Publications with words: star formation
See also:
- APOD: 2026 August 20 Á The Elephant s Trunk in Cepheus
- APOD: 2026 April 28 Á CG 30: Cometary Globules
- APOD: 2026 April 13 Á NGC 602 and Beyond
- APOD: 2026 April 5 Á NGC 3310: A Starburst Spiral Galaxy
- APOD: 2026 March 17 Á The Tadpoles of IC 410
- NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus
- APOD: 2025 December 28 Á NGC 1898: Globular Cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud