The Cocoon Nebula is a stellar nursery, where new stars are being born. The centre star, which is lighting up the whole nebula, was formed some 100 thousand years ago, is only 4000 light-years away and the nursery is about
15 light-years across.

It’s a combination of a bright emission nebula, where hydrogen gas is being energised by the bright new stars, and a dark nebula, formed of dust, which weaves through it and obscures the light. In fact the dark nebula seems
to cocoon the glowing red emission nebula and actually extends much
further away forming a tail. The new stars form a cluster, which has the
name Collinder 470.

Amazingly, it wasn’t discovered until 1899, by a British clergyman and well-known astronomer, called Thomas Espin. In 1900 Max Wolf, usually noted as the co-discoverer, took the first photograph of it.