The North American Nebula in Cygnus bears an unmistakable resemblance to the North American continent, complete with a Gulf of Mexico-shaped dark bay formed by an intervening dust cloud. It lies roughly 2,590 light-years away and spans over 100 light-years. The identity of the star responsible for ionising it remained uncertain for decades — it is now thought to be Deneb, one of the most luminous stars known, or a hidden cluster of hot stars within the same region.