NGC 7000

The North America Nebula (NGC 7000 or Caldwell 20) is an emission nebula in Cygnus, close to Deneb. It is named because its shape resembles North America. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1786. Herschel described the object as “faint milky nebulosity scattered over this space, in some places pretty bright.” Max Wolf, a German astrophotographer, is credited with describing it shape as resembling North America in 1890.

NGC 7000 is part of the same interstellar cloud as the Pelican Nebula. The two are separated by a dark band of dust. Stewart Sharpless cataloged the two nebulas as Sh2-117.