Sharpless 126 (Sh2-126) is the name for a large emission nebula in Lacerta, which appears as a red background in this image and protrudes beyond the edges of the image. The source of its ionization is the intense ultraviolet radiation of the star 10 Lacertae, a blue main sequence star.

The blue-green nebula, which forms a "stellar funnel" in the center of the image and meanders away to the right, is labeled LBN 437. It is a molecular cloud, the densest part of which is associated with some bright young stars. Its most striking feature is a symmetric reflection nebula associated with the Herbig Ae/Be star V375 Lacertae. This star is also responsible for the bipolar Herbig-Haro objects within the nebula. Herbig-Haro objects are small nebulae around young stars. They form when gas ejected from the star collides with dust clouds.

This region with its faint nebular filaments is part of Lacerta OB1, a huge star-forming region about 1200 light years from Earth.

The nebula emits its light in a broad band and in individual emission lines. The most striking lines in the visible spectral range are Hα and [OIII], which were recorded with narrowband filters and combined with broadband color images taken under a dark mountain sky.

Sh2-126 and Surrounding Area, telelens photograph.