Explanation:
Wisps like this are all that remain visible of a Milky Way star.
About 9,000 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.
In images
like this of the
complete Veil Nebula,
studious readers
should be able to identify several of the individual filaments.
A bright wisp at the right is known as the
Witch's Broom Nebula.
