Observation by Robin Leadbeater: The star illuminating NGC7000

Uploaded by

Robin Leadbeater

Observer

Robin Leadbeater

Observed

2026 Oct 16 - 21:14

Uploaded

2026 Oct 17 - 15:09

Objects

Spectrum

Equipment

ALPY 600 spectrograph
ATIK 460 ex camera
Celestron C11 SCT 280mm aperture f5.5

Exposure

4800s (8x600s)

Location

Wigton, Cumbria, UK

Target name

Spectrum of 2MASS J20555125+4352246 in NGC7000

Title

The star illuminating NGC7000

About this image

This unassuming 13^th magnitude star, 2MASS J20555125+4352246 highlighted in this crop from an image by Nick James is the reason we see the North America and Pelican Nebulae. The powerful UV radiation from this star is, according to this paper what ionises the surrounding hydrogen making the nebulae visible

Although the star appears red, confirmed by the shape of the spectrum continuum, we can see from the spectral lines (or rather the lack of them) that it is actually an extremely hot star with a temperature of over 40000K and the red colour and faintness is due to severe extinction by the dust it is embedded in. (We see only approximately 0.01% of the visible light it is emitting.) In the absence of this extinction, it would appear as a bright blue magnitude 3 O type star with a spectrum matching that shown in blue.

Files associated with this observation

NGC700_star_BAA.png (920.7 kB)

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Hugh Allen

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