Miguel Claro Captures Spectacular Image of Veil Nebula from Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve in Portugal
Renowned photographer and science communicator Miguel Claro has once again wowed the world with his latest stunning image of the Veil Nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop, taken from the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve in Portugal.
The Veil Nebula, located in the constellation of Cygnus, the Swan, was created when a massive star went supernova and exploded approximately 10,000 years ago. The explosion sent material into space, forming the tangled filaments of glowing ionized gas that we see today. The nebula spans roughly 70 light-years across and is still expanding, visible from Earth covering about six diameters of the full moon in the night sky.
In Claro’s breathtaking image, the reddish hues are created by atomic hydrogen gas, while the blue-greenish hues represent atomic oxygen gas. The image also captures the Witch’s Broom Nebula (NGC 6960), Fleming’s Triangular Wisp (NGC 6979), and NGC 6974, a large nebula filament at the northern edge of the Veil Nebula.
The annotated version of the image was produced with the PixInsight script, drawing upon several known catalogues to identify the main objects in the image. The image was captured using different wavelengths between Ha, OIII, and RGB light, using the Anit-Halo PRO Dual-Band 3nm and a Poseidon-C Pro Camera from Player One Astronomy.
Miguel Claro, who is also an official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, specializes in astronomical “Skyscapes” that connect both Earth and the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory Photo Ambassador and member of The World At Night, Claro’s work continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.
To see more of Miguel Claro’s work, please visit his website or follow his stories on Instagram at www.instagram.com/miguel_claro.