Part of my series in the constellation of Cygnus, are the Western and Eastern sections of the Veil Nebula. The relatively nearby (2400 light-years) remnants of a supernova occuring between 10-20 thousand years ago and composed primarly of oxygen, sulfur and hydrogen, making them a fantastic target for narrowband imaging. Between weather, the length of the nights and target availability, Cygnus has been one of my favorite constellations to shoot this year, after having very little luck previously with nebula imaging. Next summer, I’m planning to do some large mosaics of the region (possibly after upgrading to a much faster RASA scope).
Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960)
The Western Veil Nebula, also referred to as the Witch’s Broom Nebula with prominent foreground star 52 Cygni.
| Target | Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) |
|---|---|
| Telescope | ED102 Triplet Refractor |
| Focal Length | ~700mm (after field reducer/flattener) |
| Camera | QHY268C |
| Light Frames | 65 * 300s (narrowband) |
Eastern Veil Nebula (NGC 6995)
The Eastern Veil Nebula, sometimes known as the Bat Nebula. Personally find it to be a bit of a stretch on that visual, even when viewed the other way around.
| Target | Eastern Veil Nebula (NGC 6995) |
|---|---|
| Telescope | ED102 Triplet Refractor |
| Focal Length | ~700mm (after field reducer/flattener) |
| Camera | QHY268C |
| Light Frames | 58 * 300s (narrowband) |