This image from the NASA / ESA Hubble Space Telescope actually shows a small part of the Cygnus supernova explosion wave, lying about 2400 light-years away. Credit: ESA / Hubble & NASA, W. Blair, Credit: Leo Shatz
While it appears as a delicate and light veil drips over the air, this image depicts the NASA/ ESA Hubble Space Telescope in fact, it paints a small portion of the Cygnus supernova explosion wave, lying about 2400 light-years away. The name of the supernova remnant comes from its position in the northern constellation of Cygnus (The Swan), where it occupies an area 36 times larger than the full moon.
The original supernova explosion blew a dying star about 20 times as massive as our Sun between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago. Since then, the remnant has expanded 60 light-years from its center. The shock wave marks the outer edge of the supernova remnant and expands at about 350 kilometers per second. The interaction of the ejected material and the low density interstellar material rising through the shock wave formed the distinctive haze-like structure seen in this image.
