Sadr Region — The Alligator Nebula

The Sadr region sits at the heart of Cygnus, surrounding the star Gamma Cygni (Sadr). It's one of the richest hydrogen emission regions in the northern sky — layers of glowing gas, dark nebulae, and young star clusters stacked along the plane of the Milky Way.

The prominent dark nebula cutting through the field is sometimes called the Alligator — a dense molecular cloud silhouetted against the bright emission behind it. These dark nebulae are where the next generation of stars will form, collapsing under their own gravity until fusion ignites.

SHO narrowband processed in the Foraxx palette, eight hours per channel for twenty-four hours total.

Technical Details

• Object: Sadr Region / IC 1318 / Alligator Nebula
• Distance: ~4,900 light-years
• Telescope: 80mm refractor @ 600mm FL
• Filters: SHO narrowband
• Processing: Foraxx palette
• Integration: 24 hours (8h per channel)
• Location: Victoria, BC