The Rich Colours of a Cosmic Seagull This new image from ESO’s
La Silla Observatory shows part of a stellar nursery nicknamed
the Seagull Nebula. This cloud of gas, formally called Sharpless
2-292, seems to form the head of the seagull and glows brightly
due to the energetic radiation from a very hot young star
lurking at its heart. The detailed view was produced by the Wide
Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope. Nebulae are
among the most visually impressive objects in the night sky.
They are interstellar clouds of dust, molecules, hydrogen,
helium and other ionised gases where new stars are being born.
Although they come in different shapes and colours many share a
common characteristic: when observed for the first time, their
odd and evocative shapes trigger astronomers’ imaginations and
lead to curious names. This dramatic region of star formation,
which has acquired the nickname of the Seagull Nebula, is no
exception. This new image from the Wide Field Imager on the
MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope