Explanation:
The North America Nebula in the sky can do what most
North Americans 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 in shows the star forming wall
lit and eroded by
bright young stars,
and partly hidden by the dark
dust they have created.
The North America Nebula
(NGC 7000)
spans about 50
light years and lies about 1,500 light years away toward the
constellation of the Swan (Cygnus).
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