The Veil nebula is a delicate supernova remnant in eastern Cygnus. There are two larger sections, NGC 6960 and NGC 6992. NGC 6960 is the western section of the Veil nebula. This graceful arc is located in the same field as 4.2 magnitude 52 Cygni. Begin your star hop at 2nd magnitude Epsilon (53) Cygni, the eastern tip of the swan's wing. Sweep 3 degrees and a skosh more due south and you will bring 52 Cygni into view. Finding the Veil's location is easy. Detecting this wispy nebula is the challenge. It is a binocular object under pristine skies. However, few backyard astronomers have access to such skies. An OIII filter improves the contrast between the Veil and the background sky, substantially.
| Summer Sky Tour: The Veil Nebula (Cygnus) |
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| NGC 6960 "Veil Nebula I": Supernova Remnant (Cygnus) RA: 20h 45.6m / DEC: +30° 42'.5 |
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| NGC 6992 "Veil Nebula II": Supernova Remnant (Cygnus) RA: 20h 56.3m / DEC: +31° 41'.8 |
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Layout, design & revisions © W. D. Ferris
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Revised: July 17, 2004 [WDF]
NGC 6960, the western portion of the Veil, gracefully arcs along a 60'x9' path. 52 Cygni is the brightest star in the sketch at left. An 8th magnitude star is embedded in the gently swooping tip. The Veil carelessly arcs through the field, gradually diminishing in brightness. The eastern portion of the Veil nebula, NGC 6992, is 2.5 degrees to the east.
NGC 6992 is the brightest section of the Veil nebula. It displays a delicate feathery texture. The arc covers an 80'x25' area with several 11th and 12th magnitude stars in the foreground. This sketch is based on the view through my 10-inch Newtonian. I used a TeleVue 32-mm Plossl fitted with a Lumicon OIII filter to ensure maximum contrast over the entire field of view. The UHC and similar filters are equally useful. A emission filter is an accessory no deep-sky observer should be without.