BEHIND THE SPACE VEIL
© ESA/Hubble & NASA, Z. Levay
Around 2,100 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Cygnus, is the majestic Veil Nebula. This nebula is the visible portion of a supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop. The Veil Nebula formed around 10,000 years ago after the death of a massive star, which would have been approximately 20 times the mass of our Sun. The shock waves caused by the star’s explosive supernova shaped the emitted cosmic dust and gas into the Veil Nebula. This image was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope using its Wide Field Camera 3 instrument, with enhanced details such as ionised oxygen (blue), and ionised hydrogen and nitrogen (red).