The Gamma Cygni Nebula (IC 1318), also known as the Sadr Region, is a diffuse emission nebula that can be seen around
Sadr (Gamma Cygni), the star at the center of the
Northern Cross, which marks the heart of
Cygnus, the Swan. Despite the name, the star and the nebula are unrelated. Even though it looks embedded in the nebulosity,
Sadr is approximately 1,800 light years distant, while the nebula is much further away, at 4,900 light years. The nebula is ionized by the radiation of the nearby stars. The visible portion of the H II region stretches over an area more than 100 light years across. The nebula is illuminated by an O9-class star which is visually obscured by interstellar material.
The nebula has three distinct parts, designated as IC 1318 A, B and C. The dark cloud about 20 light years thick that divides IC 1318 B and C is a dark nebula known as LDN 889. It is physically related to the emission nebula and the surrounding molecular cloud complex. The dark dust lane is responsible for the nebula’s distinctive shape, resembling that of a butterfly, which is why IC 1318 is sometimes also known as the Butterfly Nebula.
Source:
https://www.constellation-guide.com/gamma-cygni-nebula-sadr-region/Data acquired by
@Alpha Zhang using AFIL-1, Gemini Observatory - Lijiang, China
Available from the Starbase website
https://starbase.insightobservatory.com/inventory
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