SH2-101 - The Tulip Nebula
Fri Aug 22 2025
The Tulip Nebula is a glowing cloud of gas about 6,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, named for its petal-like shape. Its most fascinating detail is easy to miss: the faint blue arc near one edge is a bow shock created by Cygnus X-1, one of the first black holes ever discovered. That black hole orbits a blue supergiant star, and as the pair tears through the surrounding gas it pushes out this shock wave. Hidden in this pretty flower of a nebula is the wake of an invisible black hole.
About this object
- Type
- Emission Nebula
- Constellation
- Cygnus (the Swan)
- Distance
- ~6,000 light-years
- Also known as
- Tulip Nebula
- Catalogue designations
- Sh2-101
Acquisition
- Antlia 3nm Narrowband H-alpha 36 mm: 112 × 3m (5h 36m)
- Antlia 3nm Narrowband Oxygen III 36 mm: 107 × 3m (5h 21m)
- Antlia 3nm Narrowband Sulfur II 36 mm: 81 × 3m (4h 3m)
- Total integration: 15h 0m
Equipment
- Telescope / Lens: Celestron C8
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- Mount: Celestron CGEM II
- Filters: Antlia 3nm Narrowband H-alpha 36 mm, Antlia 3nm Narrowband Oxygen III 36 mm, Antlia 3nm Narrowband Sulfur II 36 mm
- Guiding scope: SVBony SV106 60mm Guide Scope
- Guiding camera: ZWO ASI174MM Mini
- Accessories: Celestron 0.63X SCT Reducer (94175), ZWO EFW 7 x 36mm
- Software: Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight
Astrophotography by David Joyce, AstroDavido.