The next target on the list is the North American Nebula. This nebula is an emission nebula approximately 1600 light years away from Earth, An emission nebula is basically just a big cloud of gas that is being excited by a nearby star and thus glowing. The most prominent gas being ionized in this nebula is Hydrogen. The nebula is huge, approximately four times the size of the moon, but its surface brightness is pretty low meaning you need binoculars or a low powered telescope to see a foggy patch in the sky. That didn't stop William Herschel from discovering the nebula on Oct. 24, 1786.
The nebula is called the North American nebula because if you use your imagination you will see North America. Canada is at the top with Florida jutting out as you follow the East coast. Mexico rounds out the bottom of the nebula. My photo is not the best out there and in the hands of more experience photographers the features of North America are even more prominent.
The location of the North American Nebula:
The technical specs of the photo I took are:
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