Explanation:
Delicate in appearance, these filaments of shocked, glowing gas, draped in
planet Earth's sky toward the constellation of Cygnus, make up the western part
of the Veil Nebula. The Veil Nebula itself is a large supernova remnant, an
expanding cloud born of the death explosion of a massive star. Light from the
original supernova explosion likely reached Earth over 5,000 years ago. Blasted
out in the cataclysmic event, the interstellar shock wave plows through space
sweeping up and exciting interstellar material. The glowing filaments are
really more like long ripples in a sheet seen almost edge on, remarkably well
separated into atomic hydrogen (red) and oxygen (blue-green) gas. Also known as
the Cygnus Loop, the Veil Nebula now spans nearly 3 degrees or about 6 times
the diameter of the full Moon. While that translates to over 70 light-years at
its estimated distance of 1,500 light-years, this wide image of the western
portion spans about half that distance. Brighter parts of the western Veil are
recognized as separate nebulae, including The Witch's Broom (NGC 6960) along
the top of this view and Pickering's Triangle (NGC 6979) below and right of center.
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