Scientists around the world have been able to discover the secrets of the universe thanks to the European Southern Observatory. A new image of the Cone Nebula, taken with the Very Large Telescope, was brought to you by us.
The convention was signed by five countries. Six decades later and supported by 16 Member States and strategic partners, ESO brings together scientists and engineers from across the globe to develop and operate advanced ground-based observatories that enable breakthrough astronomy discoveries.
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the organization, we are releasing a new image of the Cone Nebula captured earlier this year with one of the telescopes. This is part of a campaign that will take place in late 2022, both on social media under the #ESO60years and with local events in the member states.
William Herschel discovered the Cone Nebula in the late 18th century and in this new image, we see the center stage of the pillar. The constellation Monoceros is home to a horn-shaped nebula.
The Cone Nebula is close to Earth and makes it a well-studied object. This view shows the dark and cloudy appearance of the nebula in a way that makes it look like a myth.
The Cone Nebula is a perfect example of the pillar-like shapes that develop in the giant clouds of cold molecular gas and dust. Massive, newly formed bright blue stars give off stellar winds and intense ultraviolet radiation that blow away the material from their vicinity. Gas and dust further away from the young stars get compressed into dense, dark and tall pillar-like shapes as this material is pushed away. The Cone Nebula can be seen pointing away from the stars.
In this image, hydrogen gas is represented in blue and sulfur gas is represented in red. The filters make the bright blue stars appear almost golden, contrasting with the dark cone like sparklers.
There have been many stunning and awe-inspiring observations made by the telescopes. While this one was obtained for outreach purposes, the majority of the telescope time is devoted to scientific observations that have allowed us to capture the first image of an exoplanet, study a black hole at the center of our home galaxy, and find proof that the expansion of our universe is.
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