Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 October 1 [2]A starfield is shown that has a multi-filament nebula flowing across it horizontally. The most prominent colors are red and blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. NGC 6960: The Witch's Broom Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Brian Meyers Explanation: Ten thousand years ago, before the dawn of recorded human history, a new light would suddenly have appeared in the night sky and faded after a few weeks. Today we know this light was from a [4]supernova, or exploding star, and record the expanding debris cloud as the [5]Veil Nebula, a [6]supernova remnant. This sharp telescopic view is centered on a [7]western segment of the Veil Nebula cataloged as [8]NGC 6960 but less formally known as the Witch's Broom Nebula. Blasted out in the cataclysmic explosion, an [9]interstellar shock wave plows through space sweeping up and exciting interstellar material. Imaged with narrow band filters, the [10]glowing filaments are like long ripples in a sheet seen almost edge on, remarkably well separated into atomic hydrogen (red) and oxygen (blue-green) gas. The complete supernova remnant lies about 1400 [11]light-years away towards the [12]constellation Cygnus. This Witch's [13]Broom actually spans about 35 light-years. The bright star in the frame is [14]52 Cygni, visible with the unaided eye from a dark location but unrelated to the ancient supernova remnant. Tomorrow's picture: the shadowy realm __________________________________________________________________ [15]< | [16]Archive | [17]Submissions | [18]Index | [19]Search | [20]Calendar | [21]RSS | [22]Education | [23]About APOD | [24]Discuss | [25]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [26]Robert Nemiroff ([27]MTU) & [28]Jerry Bonnell ([29]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [30]Specific rights apply. [31]NASA Web Privacy, [32]Accessibility, [33]Notices; A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC, [37]NASA Science Activation & [38]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2510/WitchBroom_Meyers_6043.jpg 3. mailto: drprs8181 at gmail dot com 4. http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/supernovas.html 5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250602.html 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_supernova_remnants 7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cygnus_Loop_Labeled.png 8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_General_Catalog 9. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/10-things-going-interstellar/ 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170919.html 11. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/ 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101119.html 13. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D3tZOUeTeRU/maxresdefault.jpg 14. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/52cyg.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250930.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 19. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 21. https://apod.com/feed.rss 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 24. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251001 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251002.html 26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 29. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 32. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 38. http://www.mtu.edu/