The Cygnus Loop
Credit & Copyright: J. Hester (ASU),
NASA
Explanation:
15,000 years ago a star in the
constellation of Cygnus exploded --
the shockwave from this
supernova explosion is still expanding
into interstellar space! The collision of this fast moving wall of gas with
a stationary cloud has heated it causing it to
glow in visible as well as
high energy radiation, producing the nebula known as
the Cygnus Loop (NGC 6960/95).
The nebula is located about 2500 light years away.
The colors used here indicate emission from different kinds of atoms
excited by the shock; oxygen-blue, sulfur-red, and hydrogen-green.
This picture was taken with
the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 on board the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
