A dark rift in Cygnus - IC 5076 / LDN 935

Astrobin Top Pick

The prominent ridge of emission featured in this vivid skyscape is designated IC 5067. Part of a larger emission nebula with a distinctive shape, popularly called The Pelican Nebula, the ridge spans about 10 light-years and follows the curve of the cosmic pelican's head and neck. This image was constructed from narrowband data mapping emission from sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms to red, green, and blue colors. Fantastic, dark shapes like the object LDN 935 inhabiting the view are clouds of cool gas and dust sculpted by energetic radiation from young, hot, massive stars. But stars are also forming within the dark shapes.

To find it, look northeast of bright star Deneb constellation Cygnus, just next to the famous North America Nebula NGC 7000. As most narrowband images, this palette of colours does not represent the "true" colour of the object as to be seen if we had much more sensitive eyes. It is choosen such, that different emission regions can be distinguished by strong colour contrasts for investigation of the regions morphology.

However, the dark dust lane of LDN 935 can even be seen using binoculars or widefield telescopes from a dark sky location as a region of dimmed, extincted or absent stars.