A broad expanse of glowing gas and dust
presents a bird-like visage to astronomers from planet Earth, suggesting its
popular moniker - The Seagull Nebula. This portrait of the cosmic bird covers a
1.6 degree wide swath across the plane of the Milky Way, near the direction of
Sirius, alpha star of the constellation Canis Major. Of course, the region
includes objects with other catalog designations: notably NGC 2327, a compact,
dusty emission region with an embedded massive star that forms the bird's head
(aka the Parrot Nebula, above center). Dominated by the reddish glow of atomic
hydrogen, the complex of gas and dust clouds with bright young stars spans over
100 light-years at an estimated 3,800 light-year distance.
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