NGC 6979 - Pickering's Triangle

The supernova remnant NGC 6979, known as the Pickering Fragment, is one of the most delicate and spectacular structures within the Veil Nebula Complex. This vast network of incandescent gas in the constellation Cygnus is the result of the explosion of a massive star that occurred approximately 8,000 years ago. The Veil Complex covers a large region of the sky, with filaments and clouds forming arcs, waves, and twisted structures, all illuminated by the energy released in that ancient supernova. Among its best-known components are the Witches' Broom Nebula (NGC 6960), the Net Nebula (NGC 6992/6995), and Pickering's Triangle itself (NGC 6979), each displaying distinct emission patterns and colors that reveal the presence of hydrogen and oxygen. NGC 6979 is distinguished by its filaments, which are reddish, corresponding to hydrogen, and bluish, coming from oxygen. These emissions, which look like threads of light floating in the darkness, are actually shock waves that continue to propagate through the interstellar medium, heating and causing the surrounding gas to glow. For astronomers and astrophotographers, the Veiled Complex is a true natural laboratory where they can study the evolution of supernova remnants and, at the same time, enjoy one of the most impressive views of the deep sky. Image processed in Pixinsight. Data obtained from my backyard, in a Bortle 4.5 sky, in San Justo de la Vega, between July 7 and 28, 2025. Equipment: Telescope: SkyWatcher ED80 Pro Black Diamond Camera: ASI 1600MM Pro Mount: iOptron GEM 28 ZWO Filters: RGB, ASI 7nm H-Alpha Filter, and OIII. Thomas: H-Alpha: 143x300 -10C bin 1x1 OIII: 137x300 -10C bin 1x1 Blue: 42x180" -10C bin 1x1 Green: 43x180" -10C bin 1x1 Red: 53x180" -10C bin 1x1 Total integration time: 30.2 hours.