The Veil Nebula Complex

 

The Veil Nebula is a supernova remnant located 2,100 lightyears away in the Cygnus constellation that spans 110 lightyears across. A supernova remnant is the remains of a star that has ended its life in an explosion known as a supernova. In the case of the Veil Nebula, the star in question was 20 times the mass of the Sun and exploded about 8,000 years ago. A blast wave from the stellar explosion is hitting cooler, more dense interstellar gas and emitting light in the process. The Veil Nebula is part of the larger Cygnus Loop structure, and the delicate filaments and almost fragile-looking structure are what give the Veil Nebula its nickname. Because the Veil Nebula is so expansive, astrophotographers love to capture separate sections of the nebula, which have been allocated different names.

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/7.7 

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: 15-16 Aug 2024 

Location: Albireo Observatory 2, Ileia, Greece

Sky brightness: B2

Exposure Time: 

25-pannel mosaic

Ha: 25x600 sec (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1 

Acquisition: N.I.N.A v3 

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

NGC 6960: The Witch's Broom Nebula

Ten thousand years ago, before the dawn of recorded human history, a new light would have suddenly have appeared in the night sky and faded after a few weeks. Today we know this light was from a supernova, or exploding star, and record the expanding debris cloud as the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant. This sharp telescopic view is centered on a western segment of the Veil Nebula cataloged as NGC 6960 but less formally known as the Witch's Broom Nebula. Blasted out in the cataclysmic explosion, the interstellar shock wave plows through space sweeping up and exciting interstellar material. Imaged with narrow band filters, the glowing filaments are like long ripples in a sheet seen almost edge on, remarkably well separated into atomic hydrogen (red) and oxygen (blue-green) gas. The complete supernova remnant lies about 1400 light-years away towards the constellation Cygnus. This Witch's Broom actually spans about 35 light-years. The bright star in the frame is 52 Cygni, visible with the unaided eye from a dark location but unrelated to the ancient supernova remnant.

Imaging Telescope: Vixen ED81s f/5.2

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod)

Camera: QHY 533M

Filter Wheel: QHY CFW3S-SR

Guiding: ZWO ASI120MM Mini + SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED

Constellation: Cygnus

Date: June 24, July 01 2023

Location: Korinthos - Greece - Albireo Observatory 1

Calibration Frames: Darks, Flats, Bias, Dark Flats

Acquisition: N.I.N.A, phd2

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

Filters: L

Exposure Time:

L: 90x120" (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1

Filters: L,R,G,B

Exposure Time:

L:R:G:B: 30x120" (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1

Filters: Ha,L,R,G,B

Exposure Time:

L:R:G:B: 30x120" (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1

Ha: 24x900" (gain: 56.00, offset: 12.00) 0°C bin 1×1

NGC 6960 Western Veil Nebula: The Witch's Broom

 

Ten thousand years ago, before the dawn of recorded human history, a new light would have suddenly have appeared in the night sky and faded after a few weeks. Today we know this light was from a supernova, or exploding star, and record the expanding debris cloud as the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant. This sharp telescopic view is centered on a western segment of the Veil Nebula cataloged as NGC 6960 but less formally known as the Witch's Broom Nebula. Blasted out in the cataclysmic explosion, the interstellar shock wave plows through space sweeping up and exciting interstellar material. The complete supernova remnant lies about 1400 light-years away towards the constellation Cygnus. This Witch's Broom actually spans about 35 light-years. The bright star in the frame is 52 Cygni, visible with the unaided eye from a dark location but unrelated to the ancient supernova remnant.

Technical details:

Optics: Vixen ED81s @ f/5.2

Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Synscan Pro (belt mod)

Guiding: ST-237 guide chip of SBIG ST2000XM

Camera: SBIG ST2000XM

Filter Wheel: SBIG CFW9

Filters: Ha,L,R,G,B

CCD Temperature: 0 degrees Celsius

Constellation: Cygnus

Date: August 14-15, 2021

Location: Korinthos - Greece - Albireo Observatory 1

Exposure:

L=12x600 min bin 1x1

R=12x300 min bin 1x1

G=12x300 min bin 1x1

B=12x300 min bin 1x1

Ha=18x1200 min bin 1x1

Calibration: Darks, Flats, Bias

The Western Veil Nebula

Ten thousand years ago, before the dawn of recorded human history, a new light would have suddenly have appeared in the night sky and faded after a few weeks. Today we know this light was from a supernova, or exploding star, and record the expanding debris cloud as the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant. This sharp telescopic view is centered on a western segment of the Veil Nebula cataloged as NGC 6960 but less formally known as the Witch's Broom Nebula. Blasted out in the cataclysmic explosion, the interstellar shock wave plows through space sweeping up and exciting interstellar material. Imaged with narrow band filters, the glowing filaments are like long ripples in a sheet seen almost edge on, remarkably well separated into atomic hydrogen gas. The complete supernova remnant lies about 1400 light-years away towards the constellation Cygnus. This Witch's Broom actually spans about 35 light-years. The bright star in the frame is 52 Cygni, visible with the unaided eye from a dark location but unrelated to the ancient supernova remnant.

Optics: Vixen ED81s @ f/5.2
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 synscan Pro
Guiding: SBIG ST2000XM ST4
Camera: SBIG ST2000XM
Filter Wheel: SBIG CFW9
Filters: Baader Ha
CCD Temperature: -10 degrees Celsius
Constellation: Cygnus
Date: Aug 18, 2018
Location: Sekoulas - Ileia - Greece - Albireo Observatory 2
Exposure
Ha : 60 min (3x20 min)
Binning: 1x1(Ha)
Calibration: Darks, Flats, Bias