The Cone Nebula is seen by the Very Large Telescope in this picture. It is part of a star-forming region that is 2,500 light-years away. Its pillar-like appearance is a perfect example of the shapes that can be created in giant clouds of cold gas and dust.
The pillar is seven years long. The nebula was discovered by William Herschel. The constellation Monoceros is home to the horn-like nebula in the sky.
The European Southern Observatory operates the VLT on Cerro Paranal. The image was released to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the organization.
In 1998 the first observations were made. Four individual telescopes with a primary mirror are located in the facility. The mirrors can be combined to achieve very high resolution. In the Mapuche language, the four optical telescopes are referred to as Antu, Kueyen, Melipal, and Yepun.
The first direct spectrum of an extrasolar planet, HR 8799c, was discovered by the VLT.
Thousands of observations have been made by the telescopes in the past 60 years. The majority of our telescope time is devoted to scientific observations that have allowed us to capture the first image of an exoplanet, study the black hole at the center of our home galaxy, and find proof that the expansion of our Universe is speeding up.
The source is the European Observatory.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
