Camera: SBIG ST2000XM with FLI CFW-2-7 Filter Wheel

Mount: Losmandy G-11/Gemini

Scope: Takahashi Epsilon E-160

Colors: Ha

Exposure Time: 240 minutes

Post-Production: MaxIm DL and Photoshop CS3

Wisps like this are all that remain visible of a Milky Way star. About 7,500 years ago that star exploded in a supernova leaving the Veil Nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop. At the time, the expanding cloud was likely as bright as a crescent Moon, remaining visible for weeks to people living at the dawn of recorded history. Today, the resulting supernova remnant has faded and is now visible only through a small telescope directed toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus). The remaining Veil Nebula is physically huge, however, and even though it lies about 1,400 light-years distant, it covers over five times the size of the full Moon. This hydrogen-alpha image shows a small portion of the much larger Veil Nebula.