by Nicholas Ross
The North America Nebula (NGC7000) is one of the largest nebulae - vast gas clouds that glow as atoms experience excitation from the intense radiation of the stars being born inside them. Its name stems from its likeness to the Gulf of Mexico, and red colour comes from Hydrogen gas-emitting Hydrogen-alpha light.
In regions where the picture appears extremely red, the nebula has cliff-like walls; the lower wall near Mexico and Central America is named the Cygnus Wall, home to thousands of new stars. It remains a mystery as to which star is responsible for ionising the hydrogen gas. If, as some astronomers believe, it is the star Deneb, then the nebula is almost 100 light-years across and 1,800 light-years away.
See Nicholas Ross' photograph 'Polaris' here.
The North America Nebula (NGC7000) is one of the largest nebulae - vast gas clouds that glow as atoms experience excitation from the intense radiation of the stars being born inside them. Its name stems from its likeness to the Gulf of Mexico, and red colour comes from Hydrogen gas-emitting Hydrogen-alpha light.
In regions where the picture appears extremely red, the nebula has cliff-like walls; the lower wall near Mexico and Central America is named the Cygnus Wall, home to thousands of new stars. It remains a mystery as to which star is responsible for ionising the hydrogen gas. If, as some astronomers believe, it is the star Deneb, then the nebula is almost 100 light-years across and 1,800 light-years away.
See Nicholas Ross' photograph 'Polaris' here.
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