Witch’s Broom Nebula NGC 6960
The Witch’s Broom Nebula, part of the Western Veil Nebula complex also known as NGC 6960, stretches across the sky like a celestial sorceress’s sweeping tool. This fragment of a larger supernova remnant, located in the constellation Cygnus, is a tapestry of glowing gases and dark dust, a silent testament to a once-massive star’s explosive demise. Its intricate filaments and striking colors are beautifully rendered here, providing a window into the dynamic forces shaping our galaxy.
This image is a result of a substantial time commitment to astrophotography, carefully gathering light over 9 hours and 48 minutes through 98 exposures of 6 minutes each. The setup comprised the adept Sky-Watcher 120ED EvoStar telescope on a HEQ-5 mount, with the ZWO 290MM camera guiding each shot, and the ZWO 533i MC color camera capturing the nebula’s essence. The lengthy exposure time has allowed for a detailed and vibrant image, highlighting the Witch’s Broom Nebula’s delicate structures and cosmic dance of creation and destruction.