Part of a larger emission nebula with a distinctive shape, popularly called The Pelican Nebula, the ridge spans about 10 light-years following the curve of the cosmic pelican's head and neck.
This false color view also translates the pervasive glow of narrow emission lines from atoms in the nebula to a color palette made popular in Hubble Space Telescope images of star forming regions.
Fantastic, dark shapes inhabiting the 1/2 degree wide field are clouds of cool gas and dust sculpted by the winds and radiation from hot, massive stars.
Close-ups of some of the sculpted clouds show clear signs of newly forming stars.
The Pelican Nebula, itself cataloged as IC 5070, is about 2,000 light-years away.
To find it, look northeast of bright star Deneb in the high flying constellation Cygnus.
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