Emission Nebula · Cygnus

C19 Cocoon Nebula

Magnitude
10
Season
Summer
Difficulty
Hard
Star-hop chart
C190.0° field0° rotation
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Imaging reference
Cocoon Nebula (C19) Emission Nebula

Observer's guide

About Cocoon Nebula

Cocoon Nebula (C19) is catalogued as an emission nebula in Cygnus. Its J2000 position is RA 21:53:29, Dec +47:16:06, corresponding to 328.372 degrees RA and 47.246 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 3,300 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 8.2 by 8.2 arcminutes.

Observing tips

StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 10. It is associated with summer observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around August. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 85.2 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.

Because it is faint, use a larger aperture where possible, avoid bright Moon conditions, and use averted vision.

What to expect

The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is OpC. A published radial velocity value is -5.5 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 516 bibliographic references.

At roughly 8.2 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 8.2 by 8.2 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.

Sourced catalogue data

Scientific record

Measurements for C19 are kept separate from practical observing guidance.

Coordinates (J2000/ICRS)
RA 328.3720° · Dec 47.2460°
SIMBAD classification
OpC
Angular extent
8.2′ × 8.2′
Position angle
Surface brightness
23.2 mag/arcsec²
Radial velocity
-5.48 km/s
Redshift
-0.00001828
Linked bibliography
516 references
Best midnight placement
August
Observable latitude range
-42.8° to 90°

Source: SIMBAD astronomical database (CDS, Strasbourg) (ODbL; checked 2026-08-09). Catalogue values may change when new measurements are published.

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