IC 5076 (VdB 137) and Vdb 138 in Cygnus

IC 5076 (also known as vdB 137, Ced 185, DG 165, LBN 394, LBN 087.47+01.41, Magakian 838 or V2140 Cyg) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Cygnus. It is located in the northern part of the constellation, about 2° north of the central part of the North America Nebula. The nebula is linked to the star HD 199478, a blue supergiant of spectral class B8Iae with strong emission lines peculiar enough to be classified as a Be star. Its apparent magnitude is 5.73, and being a pulsating variable (V2140 Cygni) shows changes in brightness of the order of 0.1 magnitudes. Its distance is estimated to 1750 parsecs (5700 light years). VdB 138 is a small reflection nebula, visible at the left border of this image. Some dark nebulae could be spotted also (see the annotated mouseover). The bright blue star at the bottom is the 4.53 mag. 59 Cyg.

Image details: