| North American Nebula [`nȯrth ǝ`mer·i·kǝn `neb·yǝ·lǝ] ASTRONOMY A cloud of dust and gas in the constellation Cygnus; the density of this gas and dust is possibly a thousand times greater than the average density of interstellar gas; a much denser cloud of dust between the nebula and earth obscures portions of the emission nebula to create the appearance of the ``Gulf of Mexico'' and the ``Atlantic Ocean.'' |