01 — THE OBJECT
IC 5146
Cocoon Nebula
The Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146) is a star-forming region in Cygnus, about 2,500 light-years away. A young cluster lights up a hydrogen cloud, while dark dust veils frame the scene. It is a clear example of ongoing star formation in the Milky Way.
- Type
- Nebula
- Constellation
- Cygnus
- Distance
- 2500 ly
02 — THE PROJECT
IC 5146 — Cocoon Nebula
The Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146) is a star-forming region in Cygnus, about 2,500 light-years away. A young cluster lights up a hydrogen cloud, while dark dust veils frame the scene. It is a clear example of ongoing star formation in the Milky Way. Acquisition started in 2025 and finished in 2026 (~22 h with L-eXtreme). Emphasis on IC 5146 and the surrounding dust structures in Cygnus. Imaged from Le Pradet / Toulon (Var, Bortle 7 skies). AstroBin source: https://app.astrobin.com/i/ynqlf9 Location: Le Pradet / Toulon, Var, France (Bortle 7).
03 — ACQUISITION
Total integration · 22 h
- 31 × 10 min · Optolong L-eXtreme 2"
- 35 × 10 min · Optolong L-eXtreme 2"
- 31 × 10 min · Optolong L-eXtreme 2"
- 35 × 10 min · Optolong L-eXtreme 2"
| Filter | Frames | Exposure | Total | Gain | Cooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optolong L-eXtreme 2" | 31 | 10 min | 31 × 10 min (5.2 h) | 101 | -5 °C |
| Filter | Frames | Exposure | Total | Gain | Cooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optolong L-eXtreme 2" | 35 | 10 min | 35 × 10 min (5.8 h) | 101 | -5 °C |
| Filter | Frames | Exposure | Total | Gain | Cooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optolong L-eXtreme 2" | 31 | 10 min | 31 × 10 min (5.2 h) | 101 | -5 °C |
| Filter | Frames | Exposure | Total | Gain | Cooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optolong L-eXtreme 2" | 35 | 10 min | 35 × 10 min (5.8 h) | 101 | -5 °C |
04 — EQUIPMENT
TS-Optics Maxfield Coma Corrector 0.95x
TS-Optics · TSKomaKorr 0.95x
ACCESSORY
ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
ZWO · ASI2600MC Pro
CAMERA
ZWO ASI120MM Mini
ZWO · ASI120MM Mini
GUIDE_CAMERA
TS-Optics TSL60D 60mm
TS-Optics · TSL60D
GUIDE_SCOPE
Sky-Watcher NEQ6-Pro
Sky-Watcher · NEQ6-Pro
MOUNT
N.I.N.A.
Stefan Berg · NINA
SOFTWARE
PixInsight
Pleiades Astrophoto · PixInsight
SOFTWARE
Sky-Watcher Explorer 150P
Sky-Watcher · Explorer 150P
TELESCOPE
Optolong L-eXtreme 2"
Optolong · L-eXtreme 2"
Dual-band filter
06 — EVOLUTION
FINAL
LINEAR07 — FINAL IMAGE
Final · IC 5146
Related articles
- Back to IC 5146 — the Cocoon
An acquisition started in 2025 and finished in 2026: ~22 h with L-eXtreme to bring out the nebula and the dust in Cygnus.
- Newton 150P + ASI2600MC Pro setup
Current configuration: Sky-Watcher Explorer 150P on NEQ6-Pro, ASI2600MC Pro, TS Maxfield coma corrector, TSL60D + ASI120MM guiding, N.I.N.A. / PixInsight.