Template:POTD/2018-09-10
The Veil Nebula is a cloud of heated and ionized gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus. Together with various other nebulae, it makes up the visible portions of the Cygnus Loop, a supernova remnant and strong emitter of radio waves and X-rays. The source supernova event occurred around 8,000 years ago when a star 20 times more massive than the Sun exploded. The remnants have since expanded to cover an area of the sky with a diameter roughly six times that of the full Moon. The distance to the Veil Nebula is not precisely known, but Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer data supports a distance of about 1,470 light-years. Analysis of the emissions from the nebula indicates the presence of oxygen, sulfur, and hydrogen.Photographer: Ken Crawford