The Bat Nebula is an eastern segment of the Veil Nebula, a vast supernova remnant resulting from a massive star explosion 10-20 thousand years ago. It is part of the Cygnus Loop, a sphere of expanding gas that spans about 6 degrees of sky. The nebula’s complex, filamentary structure is caused by compression from the supernova’s shock wave, creating intricate patterns that resemble a bat’s form. This emission nebula shines with the light of excited hydrogen, oxygen, and sodium, making it an attractive target for narrowband astrophotography.
Names and Catalog numbers
- Bat Nebula
- NGC 6995
- IC 1340
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
The Bat Nebula is situated within the larger Eastern Veil Nebula complex in Cygnus. It’s part of the expansive Cygnus Loop, which includes other notable segments such as NGC 6960, 6974, and 6970. The entire Veil Nebula structure spans an area equivalent to 12 full moons across the sky, with the Bat Nebula itself covering roughly the size of a full moon.
Nice to Know
- The Veil Nebula, including the Bat Nebula, was first discovered by Sir William Herschel in September 1784.
- At the time of the supernova explosion that created the Veil Nebula, it would have been visible from Earth during the day and brighter than Venus.
- The Bat Nebula’s structure is particularly complex and filamentary, making it a popular target for astrophotographers.
- Narrowband imaging techniques are especially effective for capturing the Bat Nebula’s intricate details and structures.
Brightness, distance and size
The Bat Nebula, as part of the Veil Nebula complex, is located approximately 2,400 light-years away from Earth. While specific brightness measurements for the Bat Nebula alone are not readily available, the entire Veil Nebula has an apparent magnitude of 7. The Bat Nebula itself covers an area roughly the size of the full moon, which is about 30 arcminutes across. In terms of actual size, given its distance, this translates to approximately 20-25 light-years across.
