Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                               2018 September 6
                                      [2]
                            Along the Western Veil
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Data - Steve Milne & Barry Wilson, Processing -
                                Steve Milne [4]

Explanation: Delicate in appearance, these filaments of shocked, glowing gas,
are draped across planet Earth's sky toward the constellation of Cygnus. They
form the western part of the Veil Nebula [5] . The Veil Nebula itself is a
large supernova remnant [6] , an expanding cloud born of the death explosion
of a massive star. Light from the original supernova explosion likely reached
Earth over 5,000 years ago. Blasted out in the cataclysmic event, the
interstellar shock wave plows through space sweeping up and exciting
interstellar material. The glowing filaments are really more like long ripples
in a sheet seen almost edge on, remarkably well separated into atomic hydrogen
(red) and oxygen (blue-green) gas. Also known as the Cygnus Loop, the Veil
Nebula [7]  now spans nearly 3 degrees or about 6 times the diameter of the
full Moon. While that translates to over 70 light-years at its estimated
distance of 1,500 light-years, this telescopic two panel mosaic [8] image of
the western portion spans about half that distance. Brighter parts of the
western Veil are recognized as separate nebulae, including The Witch's Broom
[9] (NGC 6960) along the top of this view and Pickering's Triangle [10]  (NGC
6979) below and left.

                      Tomorrow's picture: northern Saturn

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