The Hubble Space Telescope has shared a new image that captures one of the most impressive images of the universe, showing the extraordinary colors of the Veil Nebula. The Veil Nebula, which formed 10,000 years ago after a supernova explosion, consists of clouds of gas and dust left behind by the star. Its delicate veil-like structure gives the nebula its name.

Here is the Veil Nebula

The star that created the nebula was a giant star with a mass 20 times that of the Sun. The supernova explosion created this fascinating image with the gas and dust spread into space after the star’s destruction. The star’s explosion was so powerful that it could be seen brighter than Venus from Earth, despite being 2,400 light-years away.

The clouds of gas and dust spread after the explosion formed the complex structure we see today. This gas and dust contain ionized elements that emit light, and can be observed in different shades of color. Thanks to Hubble’s advanced imaging techniques, these elements can be examined in detail.

Hubble previously imaged the Veil Nebula in 2015. However, this new image focuses on a smaller region of the nebula, making the details more distinct. The colors represent the presence of different elements and allow scientists to study the chemical composition of the nebula. For example, hydrogen is red, sulfur is green, and oxygen is bluish.

The image was taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 using three different filters. These filters highlight the radiation emitted by hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen atoms. “This image shows only a small part of the Veil Nebula. If we could see the entire nebula without the aid of a telescope, it would cover an area on the sky the size of six full moons,” Hubble scientists explained.

This image also provides an important resource for understanding the evolution of supernova remnants over time. It is compared with images taken by Hubble in 1994, and the movements of the gas and dust filaments are followed. These observations, which have been made over 30 years, are of great importance for understanding the expansion rate and internal dynamics of the nebula. As we approach the 35th anniversary of its launch, Hubble continues to reveal awe-inspiring views of space.