NASA unveils enhanced version of Hubble’s Veil Nebula image showing delicate wires and gas filaments of the giant dead star 2,100 light-years from Earth
- Hubble first took a screenshot of the gaseous remains of the exploding stars in 2015, called the Veil Newel
- New imaging techniques provide details on fine threads and gas filaments that have never been seen before
- Ionized hydrogen and nitrogen can be seen in red and the 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 contains more details of the filaments of ionized gas that give it its name.
The Hubble Space Telescope originally took photos of the veil, the remnant of a massive star that exploded more than 10,000 years ago, in 2015.
The debris is located about 2,100 light-years from Earth and is one of the most famous 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 is still expanding, about 932,000 miles per hour, and NASA says studying its composition could help us better understand its structure and how it interacts with the shock wave of the supernova.
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An improved image of the Veil Nebula shows finer details of fine wires 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 part of the Cygnus loop, the remnants of a star about 20 times the size of our sun that became supernova between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago.
A nebula is the cloud of ionized gas and dust that forms when a star explodes.
The veil is about 110 light-years across and is about 2100 light-years from Earth, “a relatively close neighbor in astronomical terms,” according to NASA.
According to the space agency, it is one of the most famous supernova remnants that derives its name from its ‘fine, draped filament structures’.
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 fast-moving explosion wave of the ancient explosion plows into a wall of cool, denser interstellar gas that emits light.”
“The nebula lies along the edge of a large, low-density gas bubble that was blown into space by the dying star before exploding on its own.”
In 2015, NASA first shared a photo of the veil taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 along with five different filters.
Six screenshots have been combined to form a single image.
This month, NASA released a revamped version of the 2015 image using new technology to improve detail.
In the updated version, ‘new processing techniques have been applied that bring out fine details of the nebula’s fine wires and filaments of ionized gas’, the space agency said.
The new image provides more details on double ionized oxygen, seen in blue, and ionized hydrogen and nitrogen, seen in red.
As the nebula continues to expand, NASA said, “If we study these filaments and their compositions, it can help us better understand the structure of the cloud and how the supernova’s shock wave interacts with it.”
Comparing the nebula taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (pictured) in 1997 and 2015, astronomers have calculated that it expands at 932,000 miles per hour.
For example, astronomers have compared the calculation of the Veil Nebula taken in 1997 with the 2015 photos, calculating that the Veil expands at 932,000 miles per hour.
The Veil Nebula, first identified in 1784 by British astronomer William Herschel, can be seen by amateur astronomers as the 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 partnership with the European Space Agency.
The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to launch in October 2021 and offers even greater infrared resolution and sensitivity than Hubble.
It’s a collaboration between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency.