Starship Asterisk*

The Cygnus Wall of Star Formation

Explanation: The North America nebula on the sky can do what the North America continent on Earth cannot -- form stars. Specifically, in analogy to the Earth-confined continent, the bright part that appears as Central America and Mexico is actually a hot bed of gas, dust, and newly formed stars known as the Cygnus Wall. The above image shows the star forming wall lit and eroded by bright young stars, and partly hidden by the dark dust they have created. The part of the North America nebula (NGC 7000) shown spans about 15 light years and lies about 1,500 light years away toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus).

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Boy! Sometimes one really has to use imagination to see what the picture is named for, before the ability to take better pictures arrived.

The North America nebula on the sky can do what the North America continent on Earth cannot -- form stars.

A nice analogy to the Pacific Ring of Fire, however.

The Cygnus Wall seems very dense. Gas, dust and new stars .

There is a star forming region in N. America on Earth, Hollywood; (Although this is more closely associated with the California Nebula).

Russ

Russ G wrote:There is a star forming region in N. America on Earth, Hollywood; (Although this is more closely associated with the California Nebula).

Russ

Yes... and those stars behave just as badly as those in space... but sometimes 'blow-up' more often.

Enchanting picture!

The picture caught me on awe.