Stirling Astronomical Society Gallery

Emission nebula NGC 6820 in Vulpecula. At the heart of this emission region is the open cluster NGC 6823, which was discovered in 1785 by William Herschel. Both cluster and nebula are approximately 6000 light years from Earth. The nebula contains several dark columns of gas, reminiscent of the famous Pillars of Creation in the Hubble image of M16. These columns are caused by denser knots of material in the nebula as the surrounding gas is blown outwards by stellar winds from the hot young stars in the central cluster. The emission nebula is also a Sharpless object, SH 2-86.