Friday, Oct 24, 2025

The NGC 6559 nebula, also informally known as the “Chinese Dragon Nebula,” is located in the constellation Sagittarius, about 5,000 light-years away. It is an active star-forming region, situated near the famous Lagoon Nebula (M8). The area combines emission, reflection, and dark nebulae, featuring red clouds of ionized hydrogen, bluish dust regions reflecting the light of young stars, and dark filaments of dense gas. These newly formed stars shape the surrounding gas through intense radiation and stellar winds. Discovered by John Herschel in 1826, NGC 6559 is part of the complex Sharpless 29 region, one of the most photogenic areas near the Galactic Center.