Eastern Veil Nebula

The Veil Nebula is the remnant of a supernova explosion that occurred thousands of years ago. At its peak, this supernova would have been magnitude -8, thirty times brighter than Venus ever shines. Left behind from the explosion are the wisps, streamers and filaments of delicate nebulosity that form dual arcs surrounding the star 52 Cygni. NGC 6960 forms the fainter western segment of the Veil and the brighter eastern segment is NGC 6992. The two loops are separated by 2 1/2 degrees. In a dark sky both nebulae can be seen in 10X50 binoculars, with NGC 6992 being easiest to detect. The Veil is a splendid object but rather faint. A dark sky, larger telescope and the aid of a nebular filter will bring this celestial jewel to life.