2 November 2023
There’s an object within the sky that we will be able to slightly see thru a telescope supplied with particular filters. Even supposing it’s faint to us the Hubble Area Telescope assures us this object is six occasions higher than the moon.
The Cygnus Loop Nebula is the increasing remnants of a supernova explosion that passed off 5,000 to ten,000 years in the past. The little we will be able to see of it’s stunning, particularly a portion of the veil known as the Witches Broom, pictured at best and at the proper aspect of the whole nebula photograph under. (The brilliant famous person, 52 Cygni, is in each pictures.) Click on right here for a big stunning photograph of the Witches Broom at NASA’s Astronomy Image of the Day.
There’s extra to this nebula than meets the attention. Along with visual gentle it’s emitting radio waves, infrared, X-rays and ultraviolet. Right here it’s within the ultraviolet vary.
Since birds can see ultraviolet gentle the nebula most likely appears to be like brighter and higher to them.
Area.com’s video displays the nebula’s measurement and site within the Cygnus constellation.
Six occasions higher than the moon!
If shall we see what birds see, what would that appear to be? Right here’s my best possible bet, via superimposing the nebula’s UV symbol subsequent to the moon.
Moon at Thrissur (Wikimedia) + Cygnus Loop Nebula comparability
It’s wonderful what we people are lacking.
(pictures from Wikimedia Commons; click on at the captions to look the originals)