Object: Western Veil Nebula

View full image: IU_Bicentennial_Western_Veil.jpg

Caption: The Western Veil Nebula is just part of a huge ring of hot gas left from a supernova explosion. The explosion occurred about 8000 years ago, and the ring now spans a diameter about six times the size of the full moon.

Image credit: L. van Zee, G. Rowe, & IU Astronomy

This project was partially funded by the Daniel Kirkwood Chair, the Hollis and Grete Johnson Astronomy Endowment funds, and from the Office of the Bicentennial.