NASA's Hubble space telescope took this picture with its Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 over the course of nearly three years beginning in November 1994. The image shows the Veil Nebula, one of the largest supernova remnants in space, the trace of an explosion of a massive star thousands of years ago. Its location in the constellation Cygnus is believed to be a little less than 1,500 light years away. It was discovered in 1784 by astronomer William Herschel.
Image: NASA.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
Rebecca J. Rosen is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where she oversees coverage of American constitutional law and government in the Battle for the Constitution series.