Nestled within the constellation Cygnus, the Cocoon Nebula, also known as IC 5146, unveils a realm of star formation and transformation. This cosmic cocoon is a blend of dark interstellar dust and the incandescent glow of young stars, enshrouded in a veil of gas and dust that masks their brilliance. The nebula's captivating form evokes the image of a nascent butterfly taking shape, as hidden stellar embryos prepare to burst forth and illuminate their surroundings. The Cocoon Nebula, showcases the cosmic metamorphosis that underpins the creation of new stars, reminding us of the ever-changing and dynamic nature of the universe.

The Cocoon Nebula, designated as IC 5146, is a star-forming region residing in the constellation Cygnus. It's characterized by a dark cloud of interstellar dust and gas, which obscures background stars, and illuminated regions where new stars are emerging. The nebula's ethereal appearance resembles a cocoon, giving rise to its name. The young, hot stars within the nebula emit radiation that energizes the surrounding gas, causing it to glow. This interplay of dark and illuminated regions, combined with ongoing star formation, makes the Cocoon Nebula a fascinating laboratory for studying the birth and evolution of stars and the intricate interstellar environment in which they form.

Image Description and Details :

For this photo I integrated narrow field shots of 2018 (carried out with newton 200/800) with wide field exposures (carried out with apo triplet) of 2022.Lights were acquired in Taranto (Italy) in August 2018 and September 2022.Technical data--------------Total integration: 15hSky: Bortle 6Lights: 885x40s (2018, ZWO ASI 224) + 60x300s (2022, Omegon veTEC571)Telescope: Skywatcher 200/800 Wide Photo + TS PhotoLine Triplet FPL53 102@564mm Camera: ZWO ASI 224mc + Omegon veTEC571Mount: Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 GTFilters: Optolong L-ProProcessing: DeepSkyStacker, Photoshop CC, PixInsight

Copyright: Tommaso Stella

Image Description and Details : The "Cocoon" nebula is aptly named: it is a magnificent nursery of stars, located about 3500 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. The "Cocoon" is home to a small open cluster (called "Collinder 470") that reveals about 20 stars. If it does not have the generous apparent dimensions of other well-known star-forming places, such as the Orion or Lagoon nebulae, the Cocoon nebula is nevertheless the seat of a sustained activity of star creation, the great majority of which are actually hidden behind the dark dust bands. The Cocoon Nebula also has a "bluish" zone around the edge of the ionized zone, which does not result from the same physical mechanism. In this zone, the light does not result from the absorption of stellar radiation by the gas and its re-emission at a lower energy (red zones), but from a simpler "reflection" of the light by the surrounding dust clouds. Takahashi TSA102 - AZEQ6 - Atik 16200MM Filters Baader LGRB-Ha (3,5nm) L : 62 x 900s bin1 Ha : 37 x 900s bin1 + 20 x 600s bin2 RGB : 108 x 300s bin2 Processing: Pixinsight & Photoshop (8 nuits) Corse & Fouras (17).

Copyright: Jean-Baptiste Auroux

Imaging telescopes or lenses: TS-Optics 76EDPH

Imaging cameras: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro

Mounts: SkyWatcher AZEQ6 GT

Guiding telescopes or lenses: TS-Optics 76EDPH

Guiding cameras: ZWO ASI 224MC

Software: Adobe Inc Photoshop CC · Pleiades Astrophoto PinInsight 1.8.8-5 (64)

Filters: Optlong L-eXtreme 2" · Hutech NGS1 2''

Dates:Aug. 12, 2021 , Aug. 14, 2021

Frames:
Hutech NGS1 2'': 100x180" (5h) (gain: 100.00) -10C
Optlong L-eXtreme 2": 33x300" (2h 45') (gain: 100.00) -15C

Integration: 7h 45'

Avg. Moon age: 5.09 days

Avg. Moon phase: 27.20%

Temperature: 10.00

Copyright: Arnaud Couillard

Image Description and Details :

Accumulation: 23.3 hours
HaRGB
Telescope / shooting lens: SkyWatcher Quattro 8S
Shooting Cameras: ZWO Optical ASI 1600-MM COOLED
Mounts : Celestron CGEM 1100
Telescope / Lens Guides: Celestron GuideScope 80mm f / 7.5
Guide cameras: ZWO Optical ASI 290 MM
Focus Reducers: Tele Vue Paracorr Type-II
Filters: Astronomik LRGB 1.25 "Type IIc · Baader Planetarium H-alpha 1.25" CCD 7 nm


Copyright: Sviatoslav Lips

Location: Dark Sky New Mexico        

Telescope: Planewave CDK-17          

Camera: FLI PL16803                  

Mount: Paramount ME                  

Luminance: 21x20 minutes (binned 1x1)

Red: 12x15 minutes (binned 1x1)      

Green: 12x15 minutes (binned 1x1)    

Blue: 12x15 minutes (binned 1x1)     

COPYRIGHT: Bernard Miller