Wisps of gas outline part of the Veil Nebula, which decorates the constellation Cygnus, the swan. The Veil is the remnant of a supernova–a star that blasted itself to bits. The explosion probably took place about 20,000 years ago as seen from Earth. Today, the nebula spans about 130 light-years, so much of its material is spread out and faint. [NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team]
Find out more in our radio program entitled Veil Nebula.