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The "Nebula of the Skull and Crossbones", denomination that receives the star formation region NGC 2467 was observed and photographed by European Southern Observatory (ESO, which today distributes images of an area of space "as sinister as it is magnificent."
"It is only the fortuitous alignment along the Earth's line of the stars and gas forms a humanoid face "
" The image of dust, gas and young bright stars, gravitationally knotted in the shape of a smiling skull, was captured with the FORS instrument of telescope VLT (very large telescope, very large telescope) of the ESO ", said this agency.
The installation of the ESO in Chile made it possible to take advantage of one of the rare occasions in which the observation conditions are not sufficient to collect donations "Although ESO telescopes are commonly used to collect scientific data, they can also capture images like these, which are beautiful in themselves," said the observatory. .
Center officials believe that "it's easy to understand why the nickname" skull and crossbones. "This bright, youthful formation clearly resembles a menacing hollow face, of which only the big mouth is visible. "
The nebula now photographed by the ESO is the birthplace of many stars, where excess hydrogen has been created. the raw material for stellar creation, but in reality, it is not a single nebula and its star clusters that constitute it move at different speeds.
"It's just the chance alignment along the line of sight of the Earth that makes the stars and the gas form a humanoid face," they explained at the time. ; ESO.
The image is not meant to give new information to astronomers, but "allows you to take a look at the restless and bright skies of the south, invisible wonders at the top. human eye, "pointed out the European observatory.
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