GLORIOUS LOOP Even as each individual Veil is a splendor in itself, once you put the whole thing together you can more fully appreciate the remarkable beauty of this diaphanous object. You can even see it in binoculars (see page 38). You won't be able to discern the level of detail a large scope provides, but you can revel in the knowledge that you're gazing upon this unique collection of celestial Veils. wave (as revealed by soft X-ray studies) is mostly spherical. It's the clumpy dust and gas clouds arrayed around the perimeter of the shock wave that give the Loop its asymmetrical look in visual wavelengths. The First and Fifth Veils stand out the most in the 8-inch scope, but it's surprisingly easy to trace out the full north-tosouth extent of Fleming's Triangle. Details are too small to see at the low magnification of 27×, but it's all there. Amazingly, so is the entire Fourth Veil. It's fainter than Fleming's Triangle, so I can barely discern its full length. I could even spot the brightest bit of the Eastern Arc of the SBR, which is a little easier to see than the southern parts of Fleming's Triangle and the Fourth Veil. Although informed by my observations with the 28-inch scope, the view the 8-inch produced under a topnotch sky was an extraordinary sight all on its own. Seeing the actual wisps of the Cygnus Loop in one incredible field of view - and understanding their relative positions along the perimeter of the supernova shock wave bubble - boosted my appreciation of the ferocity of their formation. The long-ago supernova is enriching the interstellar medium with ingredients for the next generation of stars and all that comes with them. And at the same time it's providing both a spectacular show and is an inspiring object of research. No wonder we all love this object. We're beginning to understand how the Loop became one of the most impressive objects in the summer and autumn sky, and we have hints of how it may continue to evolve. I can't help but wonder what it will look like in a few hundred years. ¢ Contributing Editor HOWARD BANICH nevertheless is grateful that our corner of the Milky Way has such a fabulous view right now. He can be reached at hbanich@gmail.com. sk yand tele scope .o r g * SEPTEMBER 2021 33 HOWARD BANICHhttps://skyandtelescope.org/