NGC 7000 is known as the North America Nebula due to its similarity in shape to the geographical outline of its namesake continent.
The North America Nebula is an emission nebula found in the Cygnus constellation, glowing due to the ionisation of interstellar gas caused by radiation being emitted by hot, young stars.
NGC 7000 is located 1,700 lightyears away and measures 100 lightyears across.
It is often pictured alongside IC 5070, a fellow emission nebula nicknamed the Pelican Nebula.
North American Nebula and Pelican Nebulae by Paul Moyers, Merseyside, 29 November 2019. Equipment: Canon EOS 1200D DSLR, Altair Astro 60 EDF refractor, Skywatcher Star Adventurer mount
The North America Nebula was first observed by astronomer William Herschel in October 1786, and today it is a firm favourite of northern hemisphere observers.
Of all the nebulae that are named after objects they resemble – like the Cat’s Paw Nebula, the Rosette Nebula, the Pacman Nebula etc. – the North America Nebula is among those that most lives up to its nickname.
And considering there is also a California Nebula, it’s a pity for astronomers in the US that there isn’t a nebula named for each of the other 49 states!
A view of the North America Nebula captured by the Palomar Observatory’s 48-inch (1.2 meter) Samuel Oschin Telescope. Credit: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble), the ESA/ESO/NASA Photoshop FITS Liberator & Digitized Sky Survey 2
Below is a selection of images of the North America Nebula captured by BBC Sky at Night Magazine readers and astrophotographers from around the world.
For more info on photographing nebulae, read our deep-sky astrophotography guide or learn how to fine-tune your nebula images with our tutorial on deep-sky image processing.
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North America Nebula by Simon Hudson, May 2019, Cornwall. Equipment: QHY9S CCD, Lacerta 200/800 reflector, Celestron CGX mount.
The North America Nebula by Emil Andronic, Pontarfynach, Bushey, 5, 18 – 20 April 2019. Equipment: Canon EOS 700D DSLR camera, Samyang 135mm lens, Sky-Watcher EQ3 GoTo mount.
The North America Nebula by Reza Hakimi, Moomej, Iran, 10, 11 July 2018. Equipment: ZWO ASI1600MM-C camera, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 lens
North America Nebula by John Taylor, Sevenoaks, UK. Equipment: William Optics megrez 72mm refractor, Atik 314L+ CCD, Sky-Watcher EQ5 Go-To mount.
North America Nebula Widefield by Mike Cook, Romford, UK. Equipment: Meade LX200, Canon 20Da, Canon 70-300mm lens.
North America Nebula – NGC7000 by Rossolatos Antonios, Rafina, Athens, Greece. Equipment: Meade LX200GPS 14″ – HS3, ATIK 314L+, SkyWatcher 80ED Pro, Meade DSI 2, PHD, Baader Ha, O3, S2.
Mosaic of North American & Pelican Nebulas by Anna Morris, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: Orion EON 80ED, Atik 314L+, Starlight XPress Lodestar, Astronomik Ha 12nm.
North American & Pelican Nebula – 18 panel Narrowband Mosaic by Anna Morris, Norton, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: Orion EON 80ED, Atik 314L+, Starlight XPress Lodestar, Astronomik Ha, SII, & OIII.
NGC 7000 “The Wall” by Geoff Cottrell, Oxford, UK. Equipment: QHY8, Astonomik UHC filter, Equinox 120mm Refractor,n EQ5 Pro mount.
North American Nebula by Lee Housden, Essex, UK. Equipment: Celestron CPC 8″, Focal Reducer, Qhy5, SkyWatcher 80mm Apo, Cannon 450d modded, Clip Filter.
North American Nebula NGC7000 and Deneb by Martin Bailey, Gnosall, Staffordshire, UK. Equipment: Modified Canon 1000D, Astronomik CLS filter, Tamron A15 LD DiII 55-200 lens, set at 128mm, Celestron CG5 mount.
Lower NGC 7000 by James L McConnachie, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher MN190 DS Pro, Celestron CGEM, Modefied Canon EOS 400D, Astronomik CLS clip filter, Astronomik Ha 12nm clip filter.
NGC7000 by Andy Jensen, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher 80mm ED Refractor, Canon 600d Modded, Neq 5 Mount.
NGC 7000 by James L McConnachie, Scotland, UK. Equipment: Celestron CGEM, Williams optics ZS70, Canon eos 400d
NGC7000 Hubble Palette – Canon 100m @ F2.8 by Andre van der Hoeven, HI-Ambacht, The Netherlands. Equipment: Canon 100m F2.0 lens @ F2.8, SXV-H9, Ha, OIII, S2.
NGC7000 by Andrew Jensen, Battisford, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: SK NEQ6, Skywatcher 80mm ED Refractor, Atik383l, 7nm Ha Filter, Neq6 Mount.
NGC7000 North America Nebula by Stephen Wilson, Middlesbrough, UK. Equipment: ED80 Pro with EOS450D, CLS and Ha filters, HEQ5 Pro mount.
NGC7000 by Stephen Dean, Isle of Wight, UK. Equipment: Modded Canon EOS1100D, Astronomik CLS filter, Skywatcher ST80, QHY5, Skywatcher 80 mm ED Pro Scope.
North America Nebula by David Liaromatis, Grove, Oxfordshire, UK. Equipment: Teleskop Service 65mm astrograph, QHY8, PhD, Orion ED-80, QHY6.
North American Nebula in HST by John Maclean, Exeter, UK. Equipment: WOZ66, Atik 314L+, Ha, SII and OIII filters.
The Cygnus Wall by Ton & Marc Dix, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Equipment: Meade ACF 10″ at f/10, QSI 583 WSG, AP 900 GTO
NGC7000 Widefield by Andy Jensen, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: HEQ5, Canon 600d modded, 70-300mm Sigma Lens
NGC7000 North American Nebula by Jam, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: EQ-mod EQ3-2 with dual axis motor drive, Self modded Canon 1000D, Canon 200 f2.8 L lens, Home made guide scope, Logitech QC4000 webcam guide cam, PHD guiding software
NGC 7000 North American Nebula by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher NEQ6 pro mount & Equinox 80mm refractor, Atik 383L+ camera, motorised filter wheel and Astronomik Ha LRGB filter set.
NGC 7000 by Andrew Jensen, Battisford, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher 80mm Equinox, Atik 383l, NEQ6
NGC7000 – The Cygnus Wall by André van der Hoeven, HI-Ambacht, The Netherlands. Equipment: TEC-140, QSI-583, NEQ-6.
NGC7000 – The Cygnus Wall in Hubble palete by André van der Hoeven, HI-Ambacht, The Netherlands. Equipment: TEC-140, QSI-583, NEQ-6.
North American Nebula, The Wall by John Maclean, Exeter, UK. Equipment: NEQ6, Equinox 80 APO, Atik 314L+. Guided with WOZ66 and QHY5.
NGC7000 & IC5070 – North America & Pelican Nebulae by Bill McSorley, Leeds, UK. Equipment: SW 150P Newtonian, QHY8L cooled ccd camera on an EQ5 GoTo Mount.
NGC7000 The Wall by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: Celestron C11 Sct, Skywatcher NEQ6 pro mount,Atik 383L+ camera, motorised filter wheel and Astronomik filters.
NGC7000 North America – Hubble Palette by Stephen Wilson, Middlesbrough, UK. Equipment: William Optics ZS71 with 0.8x flattener , Atik 314L+ camera with a Zagyl filter wheel with Baader filters all on a HEQ5 Pro mount guide
NGC 7000 The Cygnus Wall by Chris Heapy, Macclesfield, UK. Equipment: TeleVue NP127is, 0.8x reducer,Losmandy G11, Gemini L.4, Atik490EX, TeleVue Pronto, Lodestar
NGC7000 North American Nebula by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: Telescope service 8″ Boren simon power newtonian, Skywatcher NEQ6 pro mount,Atik 383L+ camera, motorised filter wheel and Astronomik filters.
North America Nebula (section of) and Cygnus Wall – NGC7000 by Alastair Woodward, Derby, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher 6″ Newtonian, EQ3-2 mount with RA+DEC motors, Unmodded Canon 350d, CLS clip filter, DSS for stacking
North American Nebula by Stephen Gill, North Yorkshire Dales, UK. Equipment: Canon 1100D, NEQ6 Pro Mount, 300mm f/5.6 lens
Cygnus’s Wall by Gary Thomson, Hamilton, Scotland, UK. Equipment: HEQ5, Skywatcher ED80, 0.85R/F, ATIK 460EX, Skywatcher ST80, DMK618.
NGC 7000 North America Nebula by Mark White, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Equipment: Unmodded Canon 450D, Sigma 120-400mm lens @120mm, HEQ5 Pro, ST80 Guide scope, QHY5 guide cam, iso 800.
Pelican & North American Nebula by Chris Grimmer, Norwich, UK. Equipment: William Optic GT81 triplet, SXVR H694 mono, Baader filters, Ioptron CEM60 standard mount.
North American and Pelican by Lee Housden, Essex, UK. Equipment: Celestron CPC 800, SkyWatcher 80mm Apo, QHY10 OSC.
North America and Pelican Nebulae by Martin Bailey, Gnosall, Staffordshire, UK. Equipment: Modded Canon 600D ,Astronomik CLS CCD clip filter, Canon ef 200mm @f5, Celestron Advance VX mount, IMGOH CCD, 50mm scope.
NGC 7000 – the North America Nebula and IC 5070 – the Pelican Nebula by Andrew Merrick, Newgale, Pembrokeshire, UK. Equipment: Modified Canon 600d, Canon 70-200mm L 2.8 lens, EQ6. Starshoot auto guider.
NGC 7000 and IC 5067/70 in Cygnus by Andrea Pistocchini, Germignaga, VA, Italy. Equipment: Tecnosky 80/480, 0,8x reducer, Canon 450D, Neq6-PRO, Skywatcher 70/500, QHY5 II Mono
The Wall in Cygnus by John Maclean, Exeter, UK. Equipment: Equinox Pro 80 , Atik 314L+
NGC7000 North American Nebula by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: Teleskop service 8″ Boren simon power newtonian, Skywatcher EQ8 mount,Atik 383L+ camera, Astronomik Sii, Ha, Oiii filters.
NGC7000 HaRGB by David Slack, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Equipment: Revelation 66mm doublet, Altair Astro 0.8 reducer, Baader 1.25″ 7nm Ha filter, SXV-H9 CCD camera, HEQ5 pro, ASI 120mm finder guider. Canon EOS1100d, SW ED80 & CLS clip filter used for Colour image.
NGC7000 North America Nebula (section of) by Alastair Woodward, Derby, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher 150p, HEQ5 Pro GOTO, Modded Canon 1000d, CLS Clip Filter, Skywatcher Coma Corrector, QHY5L-II, PHD2, ST80 Guidescope
NGC7000 by Steve Dean, Isle of Wight, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher ED 80mm, NEQ6 mount, Skywatcher ST80mm, QHY 5, SBIG 2000XM, Baader Ha filter.
North America and Pelican Nebulae by Jeff Tobak, London, UK. Equipment: WO ZS 71, Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro, Atik 383L+, Orion autoguider, SharpSky, PhD.
North America & Pelican Nebulae by Paul C Swift, Valencia, Spain. Equipment: Vixen VSD100 f/3.8 Astrograph, Starlight Express SXVR-H18, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro, Vixen VSD, SX Loadstar.
North America Nebula by Paul C Swift, Valencia, Spain. Equipment: Vixen VSD100 f/3.8 Astrograph, Starlight Express SXVR-H18, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro, Vixen VSD, SX Loadstar.
North America Nebula by Rob Bates, Worksop, UK. Equipment: Canon 70d modded, HEQ5 Pro, CLS filter, Equinox 80.
North America and Pelican Nebulae by Kevin Gurney, Port Punay, nr La Rochelle, France. Equipment: William Optics Star 71, Canon 600D (modified), Astrotrac TT320X-AG with pier, wedge and counterweight, IDAS LPS D1 filter
North America Nebula by Bjarte Fenes, Drammen, Norway. Equipment: William Optics ZenithStar 71mm with Flat6A, Celestron Nightscape 8300, Orion autoguider, Skywatcher AZ EQ6
Starless Pelican & North America Nebula (Cannistra Bicolour) by Rob Preston, Worcestershire, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher 130pds, Atik 383L+ Mono CCD, Skywatcher NEQ6, Baader Ha & OIII 2″ filters
Pelican/North America Nebula 12 Panel Mosaic by Tony McAvoy, Cornwall, UK. Equipment: QSI583WSG, William Optics GT81
The Wall, American Nebula by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: Teleskop service 12″ Richey-Chretien telescope, Skywatcher EQ8 mount,Atik 383L+ camera, Astronomik Sii, Ha, Oiii filters, Astro physics 0.67 reducer.
The Cosmic Continent byTerry Hancock, Fremont, Michigan, UK. Equipment: Takahashi E-180 F2.8 Astrograph, Rainbow Astro RST-400 EQ Mount, QHY11 mono CCD, Optec Gemini Focusing Rotator.
The North America Nebula NGC 7000 by Mariusz Szymaszek, Crawley, UK. Equipment: Evostar 80ED DS-Pro w/ field flattener, Sony A7S unmodded, HEQ5Pro, Skywatcher SynGuider, Panagor 400mm lens
NGC 7000 by Chris Heapy, Macclesfield, UK. Equipment: Televue NP127is, Moravian G4-16000, 10-Micron GM2000HPS-II, Chroma 3nM, Ha, OIII, SII
North America Nebula by James Robertson, UK. Equipment: Canon 750d modified, Skywatcher Esprit 80ed, Celestron AVX mount
The Cygnus Wall by Matthew Foyle, Bakewell, Derbyshire, UK. Equipment: QHY9M CCD, Takahashi 106ED, EQ8 Pier Mounted, 60mm Baader Vario, QHY5iiL, Baader Ha (7nm), Oiii (8.5nm) and Sii (8nm) 2″ filters.
NGC7000 by Paul Gordon, Rochford, Essex, UK. Equipment: Borg 77ED II Refractor, Modded Canon EOS 1000D DSLR, CLS light pollution filter, Skyscan HEQ5 Pro mount.
North American and Pelican Nebulae by Ron Brecher, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Equipment: Moravian G3-16200 EC, Takahashi FSQ-106 ED IV, Paramount MX, Optolong Ha, O3, R, G and B filters, SkyX, FocusMax.
NGC7000 in bicolour by David Slack, Prudhoe, UK. Equipment: Revelation 66mm doublet/Orion ED80, Baader 7nm Ha filter, Astronomik 12nm Oiii filter, SXV-H9 CCD camera, Sky watcher HEQ5 pro, ASI 120mm finder guider
North America Nebula by Tom Howard, Crawley, Sussex, UK. Equipment: Nikon D7000 DSLR, TS 65mm quarduplet refractor, Skywatcher AZ-EQ6.
Cygnus Wall – part of the North America Nebula – NGC 7000 by Rob Little, Home. Equipment: Takahashi FSQ 106, 1.6 extender, NEQ6 pro mount, ATIK 383L+ CCD
North American Nebula by Joshua Rhoades, Elkhart, Indiana, USA. Equipment: Canon T3i modded, Stellarvue Access-80mm, Celestron Advanced VX, Orion 60mm guidescope.
North America & Pelican Nebulae in HaOiii by David Slack, Prudhoe, Northumberland, UK. Equipment: Starlight-Xpress SXV-H9 CCD, Asahi Takumar SMC 135mm lens @ F3.5, Baader 7nm Ha filter, Astronomik 12nm Oiii filter, ZWO ASI120mm based finder guider and a HEQ5 pro mount
North America and Pelican Nebula by Christopher Michael Platkiw, Nottingham, UK. Equipment: Altair Astro 72 ED-R, Altair Astro Lightwave 0.8 reducer, Modified Canon 450D, HEQ5 Pro Mount, Orion 50mm and QHY5II-C guidescope combo.
