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Credit & Copyright: Loke Kun Tan
(StarryScapes)
Explanation:
Ten thousand years ago, before the dawn of recorded human history,
a new light must suddenly have appeared in the
night sky and faded after a few weeks.
Today we know this light was an exploding star and record the colorful expanding cloud as the
Veil Nebula.
Pictured above is the west end of the
Veil Nebula known technically as
NGC 6960
but less formally as the Witch's Broom Nebula.
The rampaging gas gains its colors by impacting and
exciting existing nearby gas.
The supernova remnant
lies about 1400 light-years away towards the constellation of
Cygnus.
This Witch's Broom actually spans over three times the
angular size of the full
Moon.
The bright blue star 52
Cygnus is visible with the unaided eye from
a dark location but unrelated to the ancient
supernova.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: NGC 6960 - Veil Nebula - Witch's Broom Nebula
Publications with words: NGC 6960 - Veil Nebula - Witch's Broom Nebula
See also: