Revisited Hubble telescope image reveals Veil Nebula in exquisite detail

NASA and ESA’s space telescope snapped a gorgeous supernova remnant, and it’s even more beautiful after a new round of image processing.

The Hubble Space Telescope has revealed the cosmos in stunning detail over its three decades of service. The telescope’s view of the Veil Nebula — a remnant of a supernova — has gotten a makeover that reveals previously unseen details of the structure.

The Veil is 2,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. It was the subject of a 2015 Hubble image release, but the new look highlights what the European Space Agency (ESA) described as “the nebula’s delicate threads and filaments of ionized gas” in a statement this week.

The changes between the two image versions may seem subtle at first, but the delight is in the details. “The new post-processing methods have further enhanced details of emissions from doubly ionized oxygen (seen here in blues), ionized hydrogen, and ionized nitrogen (seen here in reds),” ESA said.

ESA and NASA jointly operate Hubble. NASA also shared the new look for the Veil on Friday.

The Hubble image shows only a part of an intriguing area of space that was once home to a huge star that died in a massive explosion. The nebula is a tribute to the aftermath.

Head to ESA’s Hubble site to download the full-size original version and lose yourself in the finery of this knockout nebula.