The Seagull Nebula is located between the constellations Monoceros and Canis Major. The nebula is about 3800 light years from Earth. The nebula, which got its name because the combination of a bright round “head” and long “wings” resembles a seagull, was discovered by Welsh amateur astronomer Isaac Roberts in the 1800s. A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust and gases such as hydrogen and oxygen. Interstellar dust and gases are pulled together to form the cloud we see. As these clouds condense, new stars can be formed. The prominent red color we see in the Seagull Nebula is due to ionized hydrogen gas. The gas is ionized by the energy of nearby stars.
