Sh2-101 · Tulip Nebula
| Chinese name | 郁金香星云 |
|---|---|
| Type | Emission nebula |
| Constellation | Cyg |
| RA | 20h00m |
| Dec | +35° |
| Apparent magnitude | 9ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Best season | Summer |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Focal length | 中长焦 800–1200mm |
About
The Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101) lies about 6,000 light-years away in Cygnus, named for the red hydrogen that outlines a tulip-bud shape. It is ionized by the nearby hot O-type star HDE 227018 and belongs to the Cygnus OB3 association. Within the same field sits the famous stellar-mass black hole Cygnus X-1, which accretes gas from a companion and drives a jet that shocks an arc into the nebula's gas. Narrowband imaging reveals petal layering and teal OIII tones. It is a refined medium-to-long-focal-length target in summer Cygnus.