It is located about 2 degrees west of the North America Nebula , or 9 degrees west of the bright star Deneb ; it appears to envelop the star 68 Cygni , of fifth magnitude . It can be observed with a medium-power amateur telescope and shows itself very well in long-exposure photographs.

Its shape appears similar to two shells that are arranged to the east and west of 68 Cygni; the eastern part is the largest. In the southern part, thin filaments and cocoons of dark nebulae are visible , which contrast strongly both with the light of the nebula and with the rich star field in the background. The distance of Sh2-119 is estimated at 2200 light years from us.