Deep-sky object
North America Nebula
North America Nebula is an emission nebula 2 590 light-years away, in Cygnus, about 90 light-years across, seen as it was 2 590 years ago.
Shaped like the continent, with a dark 'Gulf of Mexico' of dust; a naked-eye glow from a truly dark site.
See it live
It is on the live 3D map, where it really is.
Key facts
- Type
- emission nebula
- Constellation
- Cygnus
- Distance
- 2 590 light-years
- Size
- about 90.0 light-years across
- Brightness from Earth
- magnitude 4.0
- Catalogue
- NGC 7000
See it from here
Bright enough to see with your own eyes from a dark place.
How the map draws it
Drawn as a soft glow in the manner of its kind at its measured distance, as wide as it measures; the pattern in it is illustrative and its true shape is not drawn — the kind of thing, not this exact one.