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NGC 7000 & IC 5070 in SHO (Starless), Douglas J Struble

NGC 7000 & IC 5070 in SHO (Starless)

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
NGC 7000 & IC 5070 in SHO (Starless), Douglas J Struble

NGC 7000 & IC 5070 in SHO (Starless)

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Description

I don't always think working on a starless version is a good fit, but there is enough going on in this data set for it to work I believe.

The North America Nebula (NGC 7000 or Caldwell 20) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The remarkable shape of the emission nebula resembles that of the continent of North America, complete with a prominent Gulf of Mexico. The North America Nebula is large, covering an area of more than four times the size of the full moon; but its surface brightness is low, so normally it cannot be seen with the unaided eye. The North America Nebula and the nearby Pelican Nebula, (IC 5070) are in fact parts of the same interstellar cloud of ionized hydrogen. The distance of the nebula complex is though to be approx 1800 light years away.

The Pelican Nebula (also known as IC 5070 and IC 5067) is an H II region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The gaseous contortions of this emission nebula bear a resemblance to a pelican, giving rise to its name. The Pelican Nebula is located nearby first magnitude star Deneb, and is divided from its more prominent neighbour, the North America Nebula, by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust.

The Pelican is much studied because it has a particularly active mix of star formation and evolving gas clouds. The light from young energetic stars is slowly transforming cold gas to hot and causing an ionization front gradually to advance outward. Particularly dense filaments of cold gas are seen to still remain, and among these are found two jets emitted from the Herbig–Haro object 555. Millions of years from now this nebula might no longer be known as the Pelican, as the balance and placement of stars and gas will leave something that appears completely different.

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NGC 7000 & IC 5070 in SHO (Starless), Douglas J Struble