Pelican Nebula. Optical image of the Pelican Nebula (IC 5067-5070). This is a large cloud of gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus. It is an emission nebula (HII region), glowing red as the hydrogen it contains is ionised by ultraviolet radiation from hot young stars embedded in it. Dark knots of dust are seen silhouetted against the nebula. The bright stars here are 57 Cygni (blue, upper left) and 56 Cygni (centre right).