I tried to image the Veil Nebula but accidentally got an ‘Alien’ Xenomorph (photo)

When I aimed my Vaonis Vespera Pro smart telescope at the Eastern Veil Nebula, the last thing I expected was to be greeted by an eerie figure resembling a Xenomorph from “Alien”.

Using a dual-band filter to mitigate light pollution and the glare of August’s full moon I carried out observations on Aug. 8 and Aug. 12, totalling about 1.5 hours. The resulting stacked JPEG reveals delicate tendrils of gas, when viewed just right, strikingly reminiscent of the franchise’s iconic villain.

The Veil Nebula, located about 2,400 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, is the visible portion of that larger Cygnus Loop, a vast supernova remnant created by the explosion of a star about 20 times the mass of the sun, some 10,000 years ago, according to NASA.

The eastern section (cataloged as NGC 6992) glows with ionized oxygen and hydrogen in sweeping arcs, a striking view of stellar debris still expanding thousands of years after the star’s death. The dual-band filter highlights these emissions, revealing fine threads and knots of gas against the background stars.

With all the buzz around the new Alien: Earth TV series, it seems rather fitting that such a vision should appear in the stars. Created by Noah Hawley, the new series combines corporate dystopia with Xenomorph horror. The eight-episode premiere dropped Aug. 12 on FX and Hulu in the U.S. (and Aug. 13 on Disney+ in the U.K./Europe). For a full breakdown, see our How to Watch Alien Earth guide.