A ‘monstrous’ view of the Cone Nebula

November 11 () –

A spectacular new image of a star factory, the Cone Nebula, taken with the Very Large Telescope (VLT), commemorates 60 years of ESO (European Southern Observatory).

In its center is seen the pillar of seven light years in size that gives shape to this nebula, which is part of the NGC 2264 star-forming region and was discovered in the late 18th century by astronomer William Herschel. In the sky, this horn-shaped nebula lies in the constellation of Monoceros (the Unicorn), a surprisingly apt name.

Located less than 2,500 light years away, the Cone Nebula is relatively close to Earth, making it a well-studied object. “But this view is more spectacular than any obtained before, as it shows the dark, impenetrable and cloudy appearance of the nebula in a way that reminds us of a mythological or monstrous creature“, as explained by the ESO it’s a statement.

The Cone Nebula is a perfect example of the pillar-like structures that develop in the giant clouds of cold molecular gas and dust known to create new stars. This type of pillar arises when newly formed massive bright blue stars emit stellar winds. and intense ultraviolet radiation that ejects material from its vicinity.

As this material recedes, gas and dust farther away from young stars are compressed into tall, dark, dense, pillar-like structures. This process helps create the dark Cone Nebula, which points away from the bright stars of NGC 2264.

In this image, obtained with the FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph 2 (FOcal Reducer and Low Dispersion Spectrograph 2) instrument, installed on the ESO VLT in Chile, hydrogen gas is represented in blue and sulfur gas in red. Using these filters makes bright blue stars, which indicate recent star formation, appear almost golden, standing out against the dark cone like flares.

On October 5, 1962, five countries signed the agreement to create ESO. Now, six decades later and with the support of 16 Member States and strategic partners, ESO brings together scientists and engineers from around the world to develop and operate advanced ground-based observatories in Chile that enable ground-breaking astronomical discoveries.