The Glowing Gas Cloud LHA 120-N55 in the Large Magellanic Cloud | ESO

The Glowing Gas Cloud LHA 120-N55 in the Large Magellanic Cloud | ESO

In this image from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), light from blazing blue stars energizes the gas left over from the stars’ recent formation. The result is a strikingly colorful emission nebula, called LHA 120-N55, in which the stars are adorned with a mantle of glowing gas. Astronomers study these beautiful displays to learn about the conditions in places where new stars develop.

Distance: 160,000 light years

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: May 18, 2016

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