Thin, finely structured filaments give the Veil Nebula an evanescent beauty. It is part of the Cygnus Loop, a large supernova remnant that forms an almost spherical shell of glowing gas, 2,600 light years away. The star responsible exploded between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago, and the resulting shock front has been travelling out from the explosion ever since. The shock excites the interstellar material that it encounters, making it glow. The photograph comes from the Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma in the Canary Islands.