This object is located 2500 light years away in the constellation of Cygnus at a declination of +32 degrees. It forms the eastern portion of the Cygnus Loop and so is often called the Eastern Veil Nebula. It derives this name from the many delicate, draped filamentary structures, similar to a bridal veil.
I usually like to show my images with north up, but to fit the frame this time north is left. The left portion of the nebula is NGC 6992, the central portion is NGC 6995, and my favorite part is IC 1340 on the right.
The nebula is part of a supernova remnant from a star that exploded many thousands of years ago. The location of that explosion was above this image. Astronomers believe that the Veil Nebula’s source star expelled a strong stellar wind before it exploded, which blew a large cavity into the surrounding interstellar gas. As the shock wave from the supernova expands outwards, it encounters the walls of this cavity and forms the nebula’s fascinating structures.
Today the remnants of this supernova have traveled so far apart in the sky that they are sometimes thought of as separate objects. Besides the Eastern Veil shown above, other interesting sections of the Loop include the
Western Veil and
Pickering's Triangle. The whole Cygnus Loop is shown
here.
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