Night Thirtyfive - The Gulf of Mexico Nebula
Take a moment to examine the first image. On the left side is a nebula that allows us to imagine the entire North American Continent. Florida and Mexico are clearly visible. On the right side of the image is imagined to be a pelican with its head and beak facing across the Atlantic Ocean towards North America. The Gulf of Mexico Nebula is a dark nebula located in the constellation Cepheus, approximately 500 light-years away from Earth. Unlike emission nebulae, dark nebulae do not emit light and are visible only by blocking out the light from background stars . This is one of the largest dark nebulae in the night sky and spans over 5 degrees in the sky, equivalent to roughly 10 times the size of the full moon. The dark nebula appears as a large, irregularly shaped cloud of dust and gas obscuring the background stars’ light. This makes it a fascinating object for both amateur and professional astronomers to study, as it provides a glimpse into the hidden world of interstellar gas and ...


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