Cygnus Loop
The Cygnus Loop is a giant supernova remnant. It is the remains of a star that exploded over 5000 years ago. The distance to it is estimated at about 1500 light years. Because of its immense size, it contains several individually named objects, including NGC 6992 and IC 1340 on the left side as well as NGC 6960 and Pickering's Triangle on the right. Separate, high-quality images of these four objects can also be found in this gallery. To create this image, nine separate images were taken and stitched together. The full-resolution image is over 600 megapixels in size. It covers an area of the sky that is about 45 times that of the full moon.
| Observatory: | WIYN Observatory Kitt Peak, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Telescope: | WIYN 0.9-Meter |
| Instrument: | Mosaic I |
| Astronomer: | T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Richard Cool (University of Arizona) and WIYN |
| Date of Observation: | 09-20-2003 |
| Filters and Assigned Colors: | Hydrogen-alpha (red), Oxygen [OIII] (blue) and Sulfur [SII] (green) |
| Exposure Times: | 3x5min in each filter |
| Location of Image: | Cygnus |
| Field of View: | 175.3 x 176.1 arcmin |
| Orientation: | North is up, East is to the left |
| Link to Larger Image | |
| Link to Full Resolution Image | |
| © Copyright Statement |