Wallpaper author:
Alan Daly
10 Feb 2026
Gamma Cygni Nebula widefield
Located in the constellation Cygnus, the Gamma Cygni Nebula (IC 1318) is much further from Earth than the F8 supergiant star (y Cygni) towards the centre. The star is approximately 1,800 light-years from Earth while the nebula is 4,900 light-years away. The dark lanes are not “fractures” in the nebula but are clouds of cold dust obscuring the glow behind.
Dataset from which the image was processed
IC 1318 Panel 1
5 credit
- Type of target............................................................................................................................Emission Nebula
- Camera............................................................................................................................QHY 600M
- Target coordinates............................................................................................................................RA 304.7022 Dec 40.449
- Hemisphere............................................................................................................................Northern
- Telescope location............................................................................................................................Spain
- Transient event............................................................................................................................No
- Observed on............................................................................................................................24 Apr 2024 - 21 May 2024
Filter | Avg Exp (s) | Total Exposure | Subframes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halpha | 300 | 2h40m | 32 |
| SII | 319 | 2h45m | 31 |
| OIII | 281 | 2h25m | 31 |