The Clamshell Nebula (Sh2-119) lies just east of the famous North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. Stretching across roughly four degrees of sky, this vast emission region glows in the light of ionized hydrogen and oxygen excited by the hot O-type star 68 Cygni. Intricate waves of gas and dust sculpt the nebula’s shell-like structure, giving rise to its evocative nickname.

This deep 68-hour exposure, captured through a dual narrowband filter, reveals the delicate interplay between hydrogen’s crimson glow and the cooler blue tones of doubly ionized oxygen. The Clamshell’s layered filaments trace the complex feedback between massive stars and the surrounding interstellar medium, a vivid portrait of how stellar radiation shapes the Milky Way’s bright heart.