IC 2177 The Seagull Nebula

IC 2177 The Seagull Nebula is a broad expanse of glowing gas and dust that presents a bird-like view to astronomers from Earth. 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. The region also includes objects with other catalog designations: notably NGC 2327, a compact, dusty emission region. 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.