The Pelican Nebula

Pelican nebula

Location in Sky

Pelican nebula

Acquisition: SkyWatcher 130-PDS. September, 2022


Quick Facts

  • Catalog: IC 5070.
  • Discovered: William Herschel, 1786.
  • Distance from Earth: 1,800 light-years.
  • Diameter: 30 light-years.
  • Magnitude: 8.0
  • Best Visible: Summer.

    • Description

    Located near the tail of Cygnus, the Pelican Nebula is a region of ionized Hydrogen and Oxygen. IC 5070’s close proximity to the very large star Deneb gives the nebula its beautiful intricate dust lanes. The Pelican Nebula is an active star formation region that is heavily studied. The pulsating gasses from stars being born within this nebula push the interstellar dust, giving the nebula its overall shape.