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Community photo entitled The cocoon nebula by Steven Bellavia on 11/26/2025 at Smithfield, VA

The cocoon nebula

On 11/26/2025 10:00 pm by Steven Bellavia | Website | Smithfield, VA

The Cocoon nebula, (IC 5146, Caldwell 19, Sh2-125, Barnard 168), is a reflection and emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, at the head of the Swan or top of the Northern cross, near the boundary of the constellation Lacerta.
It is about 4,000 lightyears away, and the central star that illuminates it formed 100,000 years ago. The nebula is approximately 12 arcmins across, which is a span of 15 light years.

To the upper right of the nebula is the deep-red Carbon Star Lee 439

And in the lower left are three small and faint galaxies, from top to bottom:

1. 2MASX J21545243+4708510, at 522 million light years

2. LEDA 167593, at 200 million light years

3. 2MFGC 16541 (2MASX J21544334+4703499, 2MASS J21544335+4703494) at 1.2 billion light years

So I think 2MFGC 16541 is the farthest galaxy I have ever captured.
Forget dinosaurs, when the light left that galaxy, the Earth only had microbial life, with the first simple, single-celled and multicellular organisms beginning to evolve in the oceans.

Telescope: TSO-115mm Triplet f/7 refractor with TSO 1.0X flattener, 800mm focal length
Camera: ZWO ASI 294MM Pro, cooled to -10C
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro using EQMOD software

Integration:
- Antlia Edge 4.5nm Ha, 44 x 240 seconds, Gain 121 BIN 2
- Baader Red, 21 x 120 seconds, Gain 121 BIN 2
- Baader Green, 31 x 120 seconds, Gain 121 BIN 2
- Baader Blue, 33 x 120 seconds, Gain 121 BIN 2
- 30 Dark Frames for each set (No Flats, Dark-flats or Bias)
Calibrated, aligned and processed in PixInsight