NGC 6960

 

NGC 6960, famously known as the Witch's Broom Nebula or the Western Veil Nebula, is a stunning filamentary [supernova remnant] located roughly 2,400 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan.

Key Characteristics

• The Cosmic Origin: It is the western visible arc of the massive Cygnus Loop, created when a star roughly 20 times more massive than our Sun exploded in a cataclysmic supernova between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago. At the time of the explosion, the blast would have shone brighter than Venus and remained visible in the daytime sky.

• The Broomstick Star: The bright star overlaid right across the middle of the glowing gas filament is 52 Cygni. This star is a line-of-sight coincidence—it sits much closer to Earth (roughly 200–300 light-years away) and has no physical connection to the ancient supernova explosion.

• Filamentary Structure: The delicate, stringy appearance is caused by shockwaves plowing through the interstellar medium at roughly 1.5 million kilometers per hour, exciting atoms of hydrogen (glowing red) and oxygen (glowing blue-teal) where we view the thin expanding shock sheets edge-on.

• Discovery: It was discovered in [September 1784 by astronomer William Herschel], who cataloged its sweeping form before it entered modern catalogs.

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/5.2

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod) 

Camera: QHY 533M 

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR 

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini (mono)

Guidescope: SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED

Constellation: Cygnus

Date: 8-9 Aug 2026 

Location: Albireo Observatory 2, Ileia, Greece

Sky brightness: B2

Exposure Time: 

L: 80x120 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

R: 40x120 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

G: 40x120 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

B: 40x120 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1

Ha: 12x600 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1  

Acquisition: N.I.N.A 

Processing: Siril, Pixinsight, Photoshop