The North America and Pelican Nebulae

Explanation: Here are some familiar shapes in unfamiliar locations. This emission nebula on the left is famous partly because it resembles Earth's continent of North America . To the right of the North America Nebula , cataloged as NGC 7000, is a less luminous nebula that resembles a pelican dubbed the Pelican Nebula . The two emission nebula measure about 50 light-years across, are located about 1,500 light-years away, and are separated by a dark absorption cloud. This spectacular image captures the nebulas, bright ionization fronts , and fine details of the dark dust. The nebulae can be seen with binoculars from a dark location. Look for a small nebular patch north-east of bright star Deneb in the constellation of Cygnus . It is still unknown which star or stars ionize the red-glowing hydrogen gas.