960 is the westernmost portion of the great Veil Nebula in Cygnus, one of the sky’s best supernova remnants. Appearing to slice right through the bright star 52 Cygni, the nebula actually lies far behind the star. Sometimes called the Witch’s Broom, this nebula sits some 1,470 light-years away and is expanding into the surrounding medium, causing the ionized shock front that we see.
Don Goldman