Great Lacerta Nebula

This mosaic is of the Great Lacerta Nebula, also known as SH2-126, is a vast emission nebula located approximately 1,200 light-years away. It stretches across 3 degrees, corresponding to a physical size of about 100 light-years. The HII region is sometimes also known as the Gecko or the Scarlet Letter Nebula. Its densest part harbours young, newly formed stars. The intense ultraviolet radiation from the massive blue O-type star 10 Lacertae is responsible for exciting the nebula’s clouds of gas.
The blue-green nebula, which forms a "stellar funnel”, low centre of the image and meanders away to the left, is labeled LBN 437. It is a molecular cloud, the densest part of which is associated with some bright young stars. Its most striking feature is a symmetric reflection nebula associated with the Herbig Ae/Be star V375 Lacertae.