NGC7000 cygnus wall

Crop of the Cygnus wall

 

The North America Nebula covers a region more than ten times the area of the full moon, but its surface brightness is low, so normally it cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Binoculars and telescopes with large fields of view (approximately 3°) will show it as a foggy patch of light under sufficiently dark skies. However, using a UHC filter, which filters out some unwanted wavelengths of light, it can be seen without magnification under dark skies. Its shape and reddish color (from the hydrogen Hα emission line) show up only in photographs of the area.

 

The portion of the nebula resembling Mexico and Central America is known as the Cygnus Wall. This region exhibits the most concentrated star formation.

 

At optical wavelengths, the North America Nebula and the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) appear distinct as they are separated by the silhouette of the dark band of interstellar dust L935. The dark cloud is however transparent to radio waves and infrared radiation, and these wavelengths reveal the central regions of Sh2-117 that are not visible to an ordinary telescope, including many highly luminous stars.

 

The distances to the North America and Pelican nebulae were controversial, because there are few precise methods for determining how far away an HII region lies. Until 2020, most astronomers accepted a value of 2,000 light years, though estimates ranged from 1,500 to 3,000 light years.

 

Equipment

 

EQ6R Pro mount

William Optics GT81 IV + 0.8x focal reducer (Focal length 382mm f4.72)

ZWO ASI2600MC Camera cooled to -10c

Optolong L Extreme Dual Band Filter

ZWO ASIAIR Pro

ZWO 120mm Guide Scope and Mini Camera

 

52 x 300 second exposures

30 x dark calibration frames

30 x flat calibration frames

30 x dark flat calibration frames

 

Stacked and processed in Pixinsight

 

Bortle 6 backyard

Done