NASA presents an enhanced version of the image of Hubble’s Veil Nebula showing delicate threads and gas filaments of the giant star that died 2,100 light-years from Earth
- Hubble first took a snapshot of the gaseous remains of exploded stars in 2015, called Veil Nebula
- New imaging techniques offer details of delicate threads and gas filaments that had never been seen before
- Ionized hydrogen and nitrogen can be seen in red and double ionized oxygen in blue
- Before the star exploded 10,000 years ago, it was 20 times the size of our sun
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NASA has released an improved image of the Veil Nebula that presents more details of the ionized gas filaments that give it its name.
The Hubble Space Telescope originally captured photos of the veil, the remains of a massive star that detonated more than 10,000 years ago, in 2015.
Located about 2,100 light-years from Earth, debris is one of the best-known remnants of a supernova.
Using new processing techniques, ionized hydrogen and nitrogen can be seen in red, while double-ionized oxygen appears in blue.
The nebula continues to expand, about 932,000 miles per hour, and NASA says studying its composition can help us better understand its structure and how it interacts with the supernova’s shock wave.
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An improved image of the Veil Nebula shows finer details of delicate threads and filaments of ionized gas left over from a massive star that exploded more than 10,000 years ago. The image, originally taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2015, was treated with new processing techniques.
The Veil Nebula is the visible portion of the Cygnus loop, the remnants of a star about 20 times the size of our sun that became a supernova between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago.
A nebula is the cloud of ionized gas and dust that forms when a star detonates.
At about 110 light-years in diameter, the veil is about 2,100 light-years from Earth, “a relatively close neighbor in astronomical terms,” according to NASA.
According to the space agency, it is one of the best-known supernova remnants, named after its “delicate, filamentous filamentous structures.”
The new processing techniques applied to the 2015 photo (right) provide more details on ionized hydrogen and nitrogen, seen in red, and double-ionized oxygen, seen in blue.
“The explosive wave that is moving rapidly since the old explosion is flowing into a wall of fresh, dense, light-emitting interstellar gas.”
“The nebula is next to a large low-density gas bubble that the dying star made explode into space before it self-detonated.”
In 2015, NASA first shared a photo of the veil that was taken with Hubble’s wide-field 3 camera along with five different filters.
Six snapshots came together to form a single image.
This month, NASA distributed a revamped version of this 2015 image using new technology to improve the details.
In the updated version, “new processing techniques have been applied, showing delicate details of the nebula’s delicate ionized gas wires and filaments,” the space agency said.
The new image provides more details of the double-ionized oxygen, seen in blue, and hydrogen and ionized nitrogen, seen in red.
As the nebula is still expanding, NASA said, “Studying these filaments and their compositions can help us better understand the structure of the cloud and how the supernova’s shock wave interacts with it.”
Comparing images of the Veil Nebula taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (pictured) in 1997 and 2015, astronomers calculated that it is expanding at a speed of 932,000 miles per hour.
Comparing images of the Veil Nebula taken in 1997 with snapshots from 2015, for example, astronomers calculated that the veil is expanding at a rate of 932,000 miles per hour.
First identified in 1784 by British astronomer William Herschel, the Veil Nebula can be seen by amateur astronomers when conditions are optimal, according to NASA.
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 24, 1990 aboard the Discovery shuttle.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
The James Webb Space Telescope, which will be launched in October 2021, will offer an even greater resolution and infrared sensitivity than Hubble.
It is a collaboration between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency.