How to photograph the Veil Nebula (NGC 6960 / NGC 6992)
Delicate filaments left by a star that exploded thousands of years ago.
Photo byKen Crawford(CC BY-SA 3.0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Veil Nebula
The Veil is a three-degree loop of red and teal filaments. It shines strongly in oxygen-III, so it is a good dual-band target from the suburbs.
Gear and framing
The Veil Nebula spans about 3.0° of sky. It frames best with:
- Telephoto (85-300mm lens)
- Small refractor (250-600mm)
You can see how other people have built their rigs on RigDesigner, including my Sony a6700 and 60mm refractor rig.
Filters
This target glows in hydrogen-alpha and oxygen-III light. A dual-band filter, or separate narrowband filters with a mono camera, lets that light through and blocks most light pollution and moonlight. It is a good choice for city skies and for nights with the Moon up.
Tips
- At 200mm the whole loop fits. At 400-600mm, frame the Eastern Veil or the Witch’s Broom.
- Process the hydrogen (red) and oxygen (teal) signals separately for the best color.
Processing
Stack your light frames with darks and flats, then remove the background gradient before stretching. AstroBake does all of this for you. Point it at your folders of raw frames, then adjust the result with live sliders.