<h3><center> IC 2177<br>The Seagull Nebula</center></h3>

IC 2177
The Seagull Nebula


30 minutes exposure. Agfa HDC 400 wide field film.
300mm f/2.8 Pentax lens.

IC 2177 is a large but faint emission nebula on the Monoceros/Canis Major border, about 7 degrees north-east of Sirius, and about 2 degrees south of the open cluster, M50, which is visible in the photograph as a bright, compact group of stars about the nebula. The Seagull name comes from the shape of the main portion of the nebulosity, which does look something like a seagull in flight.


45 minutes exposure. Fuji Super HG II 400 film.
5" f/5 refractor at prime focus.

Just to the west (right) of the main nebula is a smaller segment that marks the head of the gull. This is NGC 2327, and is the brightest part of the nebula complex. At the northern end (top) of the nebula is the scattered cluster NGC 2335, while at the southern (bottom) end is another portion of the nebula, Sharpless 2-297. To the east (left) of the main complex is another faint arc of nebulosity that appears to be an extension of the main complex. This is listed in Sky Atlas 2000 as LBN 1036. Surprisingly, there is no mention of this object in either "The Sky" or "MegaStar". At the northern tip of this nebula is the open cluster NGC 2353.


45 minutes exposure. Fuji Super HG V 400 film.
5" f/5 refractor at prime focus.