IC 5146 (Cygnus)
Fig. 1 - Cosmic Cocoon - IC 5146 in the constellation Cygnus, photographed with an 8-inch f/5 newtonian reflector on a ZWO AM5 mount.
| Object name: | Constellation: | Coordinates: | Apparent size: | Visual brightness: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IC 5146 | Cygnus | 21h53m / +47 16' | >12' | 7.2 mag (open star cluster) |
The reflection and emission nebula IC 5146 (Cocoon nebula, Caldwell 19) in the constellation of Cygnus. IC 5146 is 2500 light-years from Earth and measures 10 light-years in diameter. Embedded in the nebula is a small open cluster known as Collinder 470. The stars formed about 100,000 years ago and illuminate the nebula. As seen from Earth, IC 5146 is situated at the end of a long dark lane called Barnard 168, a dark nebula. IC 5146 was independently discovered by both American astronomer Edward Barnard in 1893 and German astronomer Max Wolf in 1894 (source: Wikipedia).
Eighty 3-minute exposures (240 minutes total exposure) at gain 100 and -10°C, taken on August 10 / 11, 2024, were added for this shot with Astro Pixel Processor (APP) software and the final image processing was done in Photoshop. Darks, flats, bias and darkflats were used.
Equipment: Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 8" f/5 "ONTC" newtonian telescope riding on a ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Mount, ZWO OAG-L off axis system, ASI 174MM Mini guide camera, ASIAIR Plus.
Fig. 2 - Search chart for IC 5146. Copyright 2024 'The Mag-7 Star Atlas Project', www.siaris.net.