The North America Nebula, cataloged as NGC 7000, is one of the most rewarding wide-field targets in the northern summer sky, taking its name from its unmistakable resemblance to the continent of North America. Its expansive glow, best captured with short focal lengths and fast optics, spreads across a large swath of sky and pairs beautifully with the neighboring Pelican Nebula in a single frame. As a predominantly hydrogen-rich emission region, it responds superbly to narrowband imaging, where Hydrogen-alpha filters carve out the crisp coastlines and dark dust lanes that define the famous shape. Even under moderate light pollution, dual-band and Ha filters let both DSLR and dedicated astronomy cameras render its structure with striking contrast.
Names and Catalog numbers
- North America Nebula
- C 20 (Caldwell 20)
- NGC 7000
- Sh2-117 (Sharpless 117)
- LBN 373
- LBN 085.75-01.48
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
The North America Nebula lies within the rich star fields of Cygnus, positioned at right ascension 20h 58m 47s and declination +44° 19′ 48″, embedded in the luminous band of the summer Milky Way. It sits close to the brilliant star Deneb, which makes locating the region straightforward and provides a natural signpost for framing the surrounding area. The dense stellar backdrop here offers imagers a spectacular canvas, with countless faint suns threading through the nebula’s glowing hydrogen clouds. Just to the west, separated by a dark dust lane, lies its close companion the Pelican Nebula, and the two are frequently composed together in mosaics of this crowded stretch of sky.
Nice to Know
- The nebula earns its name from a remarkable resemblance to the continent of North America, complete with a distinct “Gulf of Mexico” region shaped by intervening dust.
- It carries multiple designations across catalogs, including NGC 7000, Caldwell 20, Sharpless 2-117, and the Lynds catalog entries LBN 373 and LBN 085.75-01.48.
- Its large angular size makes it a classic wide-field object, better suited to camera lenses and short refractors than to long focal-length telescopes.
- Lying roughly 1,890 light-years from Earth in Cygnus, it is a favorite narrowband target that shines brilliantly through Hydrogen-alpha filters.
Brightness, distance and size
It lies about 1,890 light-years from Earth.
