Pretty. This is probably the coolest looking nebula I've seen on Astronomy Picture of the Day's site. It occurs in the night sky near Sirius and spans 1.6 angular degrees across the sky. It's very close to the alpha star Canis Major. The birds head is formed by a dusty emission region with an embedded massive star. It is dominated by hydrogen which explains why it has a reddish tint from top to bottom. It spans over 100 light years and is approximately 3,800 light years away.
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