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 dust. Despite its dark appearance, LDN 935 is an active region of star formation. Inside the cloud, dense pockets of gas and dust are collapsing under their own gravity, forming new stars. These new stars are embedded within the cloud and are not visible at optical wavelengths, but they can be detected using infrared and radio telescopes. One of the most interesting features of LDN 935 is the presence of a large, dark lane that runs through the centre of the cloud. This lane is thought to be caused by a dense filament of gas and dust that is blocking out the light from background stars. The filament is also likely a site of active star formation, as it appears to collapse under its own gravity and fragment into smaller clumps. The enlarged image, moves in closer to the more easily seen Cygnus Wall. The portion of the North American Nebula resembling Mexico and Central America is known as the Cygnus Wall. This region exhibits the most concentrated star formation.