Clamshell Nebula (Sh 2-119)

Sh 2-119
Sh 2-119: Section of the STScI Digitized Sky Survey 2. Here could be your picture. [147]
Sh 2-119
Sh 2-119: Dark nebulae LDN 952, 951, 949, 946 in H-II region Sh 2-119; 500 mm Cassegrain 3625 mm f/7.2; SBIG STL11K; 34x15min Lum, 16-14-13x15min RGB; Bernese Highlands; © Radek Chromik [32]

History

In the early 1950s, Russian astronomers Grigory Abramovich Shajn and Vera Fedorovna Gaze conducted an imaging survey of the Milky Way in the Hα hydrogen emission line using 640-mm and 450-mm (f/1.4) astrographs at the Simeis Observatory on the Crimean Peninsula. The large H-II nebulosity where (Min 1-103 is the brightest knot) were referred to as Simeiz 87, 88, 89, 90 and 91 ... or all together as Gaze+Shajn [GS55] 240. [402]

American astronomer Stewart Sharpless did a survey for H II regions on the photo plates of «Palomar Observatory Sky Survey» made with the 48-inch Schmidt telescope. In 1959 he published a revised and extended version of his survey where the whole nebula complex got its designation Sh 2-119. [310]

Physical Properties

Data from Simbad [145]
NameTypeRA
(J2000.0)
Dec
(J2000.0)
Size
[']
Identifiers
Sh 2-119HII21h 18m 30s+43° 56' 00"LBN 087.23-03.80; LBN 391; SH 2-119; [GS55] 240
LDN 942DNe21h 16m 24s+43° 13' 00"LDN 942
LDN 943DNe21h 16m 42s+43° 24' 00"6 × 6LDN 943; [DB2002b] G86.99-4.00
LDN 944DNe21h 17m 41s+43° 18' 06"31.8 × 16.2LDN 944; TGU H515
LDN 946DNe21h 19m 00s+43° 28' 00"LDN 946
LDN 947DNe21h 20m 00s+43° 19' 00"5.5 × 5.5LDN 947; [DB2002b] G87.35-4.48
LDN 948DNe21h 20m 42s+43° 15' 00"2 × 2LDN 948; [DB2002b] G87.40-4.62
LDN 949DNe21h 19m 24s+43° 32' 00"15 × 5LDN 949; [DB2002b] G87.43-4.25
LDN 951DNe21h 20m 13s+43° 31' 30"LDN 951
LDN 952DNe21h 20m 30s+43° 28' 00"LDN 952
LDN 953DNe21h 21m 25s+43° 21' 00"LDN 953

Finder Chart

The large H-II region Sh 2-119 around star 68 Cygni is located in the constellation Cygnus, roughly 3° east of NGC 7000. On 10 August it is in opposition to the Sun and culminates at local midnight.

Cygnus: Clamshell Nebula (Sh 2-119)
Finder Chart Clamshell Nebula (Sh 2-119)
10:53
16:26 | 46°
21:59
Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. Times are shown for timezone UTC, Latitude 0°, Longitude 0°, Horizon height 5°, Date 2025-12-04. [149, 160]

Objects Within a Radius of 10°

References