                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                               2021 October 27

                          NGC 6995: The Bat Nebula
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Howard Trottier

   Explanation: Do you see the bat? It haunts this cosmic close-up of the
   eastern Veil Nebula. The Veil Nebula itself is a large supernova
   remnant, the expanding debris cloud from the death explosion of a
   massive star. While the Veil is roughly circular in shape and covers
   nearly 3 degrees on the sky toward the constellation of the Swan
   (Cygnus), NGC 6995, known informally as the Bat Nebula, spans only 1/2
   degree, about the apparent size of the Moon. That translates to 12
   light-years at the Veil's estimated distance, a reassuring 1,400
   light-years from planet Earth. In the composite of image data recorded
   through narrow band filters, emission from hydrogen atoms in the
   remnant is shown in red with strong emission from oxygen atoms shown in
   hues of blue. Of course, in the western part of the Veil lies another
   seasonal apparition: the Witch's Broom Nebula.

                Explore Your Universe: Random APOD Generator
                     Tomorrow's picture: Mirach's Ghost
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
                NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

