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Stunning Bat-Shaped Nebula Discovered 10,000 Light-Years Away

11/2/2025

Summary

ESO Reveals Stellar Nursery

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) captured a bat-shaped nebula about 10,000 light-years away in Circinus and Norma, revealing a stellar nursery.
The nebula glows red as radiation from young stars excites surrounding hydrogen gas.
It spans an area equivalent to four full moons, illustrating its size.
The image was taken with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) in Chile using the 268-megapixel OmegaCAM and data from multiple filters.

History

Historical Context

The Hubble Space Telescope, launched on April 24, 1990, by NASA and the European Space Agency, transformed astronomy with its ability to capture high-resolution images of celestial phenomena. Over its operational years, Hubble has made over 1.5 million observations, significantly advancing our understanding of the universe and paving the way for future discoveries, such as the recent bat-shaped nebula identified by the European Southern Observatory.

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ESO Reveals Stellar Nursery

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) captured a bat-shaped nebula about 10,000 light-years away in Circinus and Norma, revealing a stellar nursery.
The nebula glows red as radiation from young stars excites surrounding hydrogen gas.
It spans an area equivalent to four full moons, illustrating its size.
The image was taken with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) in Chile using the 268-megapixel OmegaCAM and data from multiple filters.

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