IC 1340

IC 1340 is a luminous filamentary structure of ionized gas that constitutes the southernmost portion of the Veil Nebula, a large and diffuse supernova remnant in the constellation Cygnus. The Veil Nebula is the expanding debris cloud from a massive star that exploded roughly 8,000 years ago.

IC 1340 is a popular astrophotography target that can be captured with a modest telescope and a camera using narrowband filters such as H-alpha and OIII. While the filamentary detail is too faint to see visually through most amateur telescopes, long-exposure imaging readily reveals the intricate glowing gas structures.

The stellar explosion that created the Veil Nebula, including the IC 1340 segment, occurred approximately 8,000 years ago as observed from Earth. The expanding shockwave has since spread across an area of sky spanning roughly three degrees, making the Veil Nebula one of the largest and most dramatic supernova remnants visible to astronomers.

IC 1340 is located in the northern constellation Cygnus, the Swan, which sits along the dense band of the Milky Way. Cygnus is rich in nebulae, star clusters, and other deep-sky objects, making it one of the most popular constellations for amateur astronomers during the northern summer months.