The Cocoon Nebula sits about 2,500 light-years away in Cygnus. NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day shows IC 5146 looking almost comet-like because of a long tail of dark interstellar dust. The bright central head spans about 10 light-years, while its dark dusty tail extends nearly 100 light-years.
Discovery
NASA’s picture of the day is a cosmic Cocoon
IC 5146 combines a compact star-forming region with a nearly 100-light-year trail of dark dust.
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