This is the Cocoon Nebula – also known as IC5146, Caldwell 19 and a few more. This is a reflection/emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus (The Swan).

If you look at the image, you will notice a starless area around the nebula then trailing off to the bottom right corner of the image. That is a dark nebula – known as Barnard 168. Dark nebulas are not black holes, but an interstellar cloud that is so dense, light cannot pass through it.

This object is about 2500 light years from earth so unlike last week’s Flaming Star Nebula – the light that makes up this image left the nebula 500 years before the birth of Christ.

This is a stacking of 17 x 300 second exposures taken back in November.

Thanks for looking!