Sky & Telescope - September 2022 - 59

filter over an O III because I would
be star-hopping around the nebula's
boundary as depicted in the MSA, and
UHC filters don't drown stars like O III
filters do. All five nights had excellent
transparency.
By far the most prominent - and
geographically recognizable - parts
of NGC 7000 are Central America,
Mexico, and Florida (although the
nebulosity representing Florida is too
broad) that surround the black Gulf of
Mexico, which is formed by part of the
dark nebula LDN 935. An unnamed
dark nebula forms the Pacific Coast
of Central America, and I also saw
adjacent B355 just to the southeast.
Immediately south of declination +43°
I detected the southernmost nebulous
peninsula marked on the MSA (and
visible in the chart at right), between a
deep dark inlet and TX Cygni.
The MSA shows nebulosity west of
Mexico that I couldn't detect, but my
view again matches the charts near
Xi (ξ) Cygni. I noted the Pacific Coast
(though not at the level of detail plotted
in the MSA) north of Xi Cygni to a faint
V of stars located 23′ north of 6.2-magnitude
V1981 Cygni (HD 200527).
In the eyepiece, the open cluster
Collinder 428 presents as a very elongated
ellipse of 10 stars, with perhaps
some stars adjacent to it. I could barely
detect the faint arc of nebulosity visible
in images between Cr 428 and V1981
Cygni with sweeping. But I more easily
found the brighter arc of nebulosity
lying between two north-south star
chains. Its center is ¼° northwest of
6.6-magnitude HD 200102, which
anchors the eastern star chain. I first
saw this nebulosity on a photograph,
and then decided to hunt it down. This
feature is the only prominent arc of
bright red nebulosity visible in the image
at left - you'll find it in the northern
reaches of the North America Nebula,
approximately where Montana is.
Starting at HD 200102, I followed
the eastern star chain for 1°
northwards along the 21h line of right
ascension; about halfway it bends to
the north-northwest and leads to the
discernible northern tip of NGC 7000.
21h 06m
+46°
B353
6996
α
HD 199098
+45°
V1981 HD 200102
6997
Cr 428
V1794
+44°
ξ
North America
Nebula
7000
+43°
TX
IC 5068
HD 199099
+42°
pTARGETS WITHIN TARGETS Not only are the two nebulae discussed here beautiful sights
themselves, but they also offer the opportunity to check in on other objects.
West of the tip lies the big, triangular
dark nebula B352 - one of the most
obvious dark nebulae in Cygnus thanks
to the rich star fields surrounding it.
The nebulous Atlantic Coast is obvious
from Florida up to declination +45°
- or nearly up to the 5.5-magnitude
star HD 199098. But I didn't see the
nebula boundary plotted on the MSA
north of there.
The open cluster NGC 6997 looks
like two concentric ovals (for those
with the MSA open in front of you, note
that the cluster's not plotted, but we've
included it in the finder above). Scan
37′ northeast of 57 Cygni to find the
cluster. There's also a scattered clump
of stars 18′ northwest of NGC 6997,
but no open cluster is cataloged at that
position. At 141× unfiltered I saw the
poor straggling open cluster NGC 6996.
(In my observing notes I questioned
whether it really was a cluster, and the
authoritative book by Brent A. Archinal
and Steven J. Hynes, Star Clusters, lists it
as a possible asterism). The dark nebula
B353 is draped around its eastern side.
Poking Around the Pelican
The northern extension of the dark
nebula LDN 935 separates the North
America Nebula from IC 5070, the
Pelican Nebula. The Pelican has a bright
band from its northern tip to its southern
edge, approximately along the line of
right ascension at 20h 51m. The northern
part of the band forms the body of the
Pelican, but it extends southwards, far
past the body. The nebulosity that makes
the Pelican's bill is obvious - although
I couldn't make out its actual shape -
and continues southeastwards to about
½° south of V1794 Cygni (HD 199178).
I could also clearly see the long dark
nebula immediately to the southwest
that intrudes deep into IC 5070.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * SEPTEMBER 2022 59
LDN 935
56
ΟΣ 416
57
Pelican
Nebula
IC 5070
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
CYGNUS
Deneb
21h 02m
20h 58m
B352
Bark 1
20h 54m
20h 50m
20h 46m
20h 42m
B355
IC 5068B
Star magnitudes
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