Seagull Nebula with M50

Seagull Nebula with M50

Seagull Nebula (IC 2177) is an emission nebula located on the border between the constellations Canis Major and Monoceros, situated just above the bright star Sirius. It spans over 100 light-years and lies approximately 3,650–3,700 light-years from Earth. The nebula gets its name from its resemblance to a seagull in flight, with its head formed by the glowing gas around the Be-type star HD 53367, which ionizes the surrounding hydrogen and causes the red emission.

Messier 50 (M50), an open star cluster, is located above and to the right of the Seagull Nebula, near the boundary of Monoceros. It lies at a closer distance of about 2,900 light-years and is visible as a bright, loose cluster of stars. M50 is often photographed together with the Seagull Nebula, as the two are close in the sky and form a striking deep-sky pair.