Astronomers have photographed the Sh2-54 nebula and many stars beyond it. It was reported by the European Southern Observatory.
The work was carried out using VISTA, the world’s largest research telescope operating in the near infrared region of the spectrum, with a mirror diameter of 4.1 m. The original image has a resolution of 67 megapixels.
Nebulae are huge clouds of gas and dust from which stars are born. Nebula Sh2-54 is located 6,000 light-years away in the constellation of the Serpent. Visible light is easily absorbed by dust clouds in nebulae, while infrared radiation can pass through thick dust layers almost unhindered. Thus, many stars hiding behind the curtain also fell into the image. In visible light, the nebula becomes much brighter and the stars are much less visible.
This is important to scientists because it allows them to examine the interior of nebulae and thus learn more about how stars form.
Formerly Korean probe photographed Earth rising above the moon horizon.