A sounding rocket carrying a specialized imaging and spectroscopy instrument is set to embark on a short journey to space Sunday night, with the goal of gathering valuable data on a well-known and fascinating supernova remnant located in the Cygnus constellation. This celestial entity, known as the Cygnus Loop or the Veil Nebula, emerged following the explosive demise of a star approximately 20,000 years ago, and it continues to expand.
NASA has scheduled the launch for 11:35 PM ET on Sunday, October 29, from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The Integral Field Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Experiment, also known as INFUSE, will observe the Cygnus Loop for a brief period, capturing light within the far-ultraviolet range to illuminate gases with temperatures ranging from 90,000 to 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The rocket is expected to reach an altitude of around 150 miles before beginning its descent back to Earth via parachutes.
Located approximately 2,600 light-years away, the Cygnus Loop was formed from the collapse of a star believed to be 20 times larger than our own sun. As the aftermath of this cataclysmic event is still unfolding, with the nebula expanding at an astonishing rate of 930,000 miles per hour, it presents an ideal opportunity to study how supernovae influence the creation of new star systems. “Supernovae such as the one responsible for the formation of the Cygnus Loop have a profound impact on the formation of galaxies,” notes Brian Fleming, the principal investigator for the INFUSE mission, in an interview with NASA.
“INFUSE will examine how the supernova releases energy into the Milky Way by capturing light emitted as the shockwave collides with pockets of cold gas dispersed throughout the galaxy,” continues Fleming. Once the INFUSE rocket returns to Earth and its data has been collected, the team intends to refurbish it for future launches.
