Cygnus Loop widefield

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Cygnus Loop widefield

Veil Nebula · Supernova remnant · Cygnus · Approximately 2400 light-years from Earth

Widefield photograph of the Cygnus Loop and surrounding red nebulosity, captured from central Bristol with a Svbony SV535.

TelescopeSvbony SV535

CameraZWO ASI2600MC Pro

SkyBortle 8

Integration16 hours

Captured5 to 9 August 2026

Overview

A stellar explosion has left its mark across this corner of Cygnus. The bright, tangled filaments of the Veil Nebula trace the Cygnus Loop, a vast supernova remnant roughly 2400 light-years from Earth. This widefield view places those familiar arcs within a much larger landscape of glowing gas and stars.

The Bat Nebula and Pickering’s Triangle are both included in the frame. I’ve photographed them individually before, but seeing them together makes it easier to appreciate how they fit into the same enormous structure.

Background

I was really pleased with my Central Cygnus image, and wanted to try another widefield project with the Svbony SV535. I didn’t have to travel far across the sky to find the next target. The Cygnus Loop lies nearby in the same constellation, and its sweeping arcs looked ideal for the telescope’s 105mm focal length.

This time, I decided to concentrate on hydrogen and oxygen. I wasn’t expecting sulphur to contribute as much to the image I had in mind, so I left out the Askar E2 and used the Optolong L-Ultimate for the nebulosity. I also collected shorter exposures with the L-Quad Enhance for the broadband stars.

The project ran from 5 to 9 August 2026, with 16 hours of exposure in total. I’m particularly pleased with how much faint structure came through in such a short run. Passing clouds, short summer nights, and the light pollution of central Bristol weren’t exactly helping!

Close-ups

There’s plenty to explore beyond the overall shape of the Loop. These crops move from the bright filaments to the fainter arcs and diffuse red nebulosity around them. Select an image for a larger view.

The full Cygnus Loop with bright curved filaments and fainter structure within its shell.
Bright curved arc of the Veil Nebula with fine orange and turquoise filaments.
Long turquoise and orange filaments sweeping across a close crop of the Veil Nebula.
Interwoven orange and turquoise strands of the Cygnus Loop against a red star field.
Faint curved filaments along the edge of the Cygnus Loop.
Diffuse red nebulosity and dark gaps in the wider field surrounding the Cygnus Loop.
Broad red emission clouds beyond the bright filaments of the Cygnus Loop.
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Science

The Cygnus Loop is the aftermath of a massive star’s explosion thousands of years ago. Its expanding shock wave encounters gas in the surrounding interstellar medium, producing the features that we see today.

Curved sheets of glowing gas appear especially bright where we view them edge-on. Variations in the surrounding gas encountered by the shock wave give the remnant its uneven, intricate appearance.

Detailed view of a bright curved shock front and branching filaments in the Veil Nebula.

The L-Ultimate isolates light from Hα and OIII. These emissions reveal different structures within the remnant. In the finished image, I choose warm reds and oranges for Hα, and turquoise for OIII. This is an unusual palette, but I think it makes the filaments easier to see. And hopefully looks quite nice!

Contrasting turquoise and orange filaments in a long arc of the Cygnus Loop.

My earlier Bat Nebula and Pickering’s Triangle images explore smaller parts of this same remnant with the Askar 130PHQ. See below to compare these views. The longer focal length brings out fine details, while the SV535 gives those details their wider context.

Fine interlaced filaments and knots of glowing gas within the Cygnus Loop.

Compare the views

These sliders take a closer look, comparing it with my Bat Nebula, Pickering’s Triangle, and FRA400 Cygnus Loop photographs. The SV535 views use high-resolution crops from this widefield project, rotated and scaled to match my earlier photographs. Drag each divider, use the slider, or select an individual view.

The colours, filters, exposure times, and processing differ between projects. These are comparisons of the finished photographs, rather than controlled telescope tests.

The Bat Nebula: SV535 and 130PHQ

The Bat Nebula photographed with the Askar 130PHQ
Svbony SV535 · cropAskar 130PHQ

Pickering’s Triangle: SV535 and 130PHQ

Pickering’s Triangle photographed with the Askar 130PHQ
Svbony SV535 · cropAskar 130PHQ

The Cygnus Loop: SV535 and FRA400

The Cygnus Loop photographed with the Askar FRA400
Svbony SV535 · cropAskar FRA400

Imaging details

Date
5 to 9 August 2026
Location
Bristol, UK (Bortle 8)
Telescope
Svbony SV535 105mm f/2.8 Astrograph
Camera
ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Mount
StellarDrive X 6R PRO
Guiding
Svbony SV165 + ZWO ASI120MM Mini
Control
ASIAIR Mini
Software
PixInsight, Lightroom
Image by
Lee Pullen
FilterChannelsExposure
Optolong L-Quad EnhanceRGB stars150 × 60 seconds (2.5 hours)
Optolong L-UltimateHα / OIII162 × 5 minutes (13.5 hours)

Optolong L-Quad Enhance

RGB stars
150 × 60 seconds = 2 hours 30 minutes

Optolong L-Ultimate

Hα / OIII nebulosity
162 × 5 minutes = 13 hours 30 minutes

Total exposure: 16 hours

Kit list

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Processing

Processing video

Follow my PixInsight walkthrough for the Cygnus Loop widefield, combining Hα/OIII nebulosity with RGB stars.

Watch the processing tutorial on YouTube

Subframes and stacks

Single 60-second Cygnus Loop widefield exposure through the Optolong L-Quad Enhance filter.
L-Quad Enhance: one 60-second subframe.
Cygnus Loop widefield stack of 150 one-minute exposures through the Optolong L-Quad Enhance filter.
L-Quad Enhance: 150 × 60 seconds, totalling 2.5 hours.
Single five-minute Cygnus Loop widefield exposure through the Optolong L-Ultimate filter.
L-Ultimate: one five-minute subframe.
Cygnus Loop widefield stack of 162 five-minute exposures through the Optolong L-Ultimate filter.
L-Ultimate: 162 × 5 minutes, totalling 13.5 hours.

Explore more targets

Browse all targets →
The Bat Nebula photographed with the Askar 130PHQThe Bat NebulaAskar 130PHQExplore target →Pickering’s Triangle photographed with the Askar 130PHQPickering’s TriangleAskar 130PHQExplore target →The Cygnus Loop photographed with the Askar FRA400The Cygnus LoopAskar FRA400Explore target →

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