North America and Pelican Nebulae

In the constellation of Cygnus, near its brightest star, Deneb. This part of the sky offers a unique, very extensive nebular complex where intense star formation is under way: a group of emission nebulae marked by a striking red colour. The largest of these (NGC 7000) has a shape reminiscent of the North American continent and an apparent size about 10 times that of the full Moon, though its faint brightness keeps it invisible to the naked eye. Nearby lies the Pelican Nebula (IC 5067) and, just below it, IC 5068: certainly one of the most beautiful and most photographed nebular complexes of the summer sky. A mosaic of two panels, one for North America and one for the Pelican, each with about 7 hours of integration.