ESO telescope images two stunning star formation regions in southern Milky Way

two dramatic star formation regions

The European Southern Observatory's Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) snapped this stunning picture that shows two nebulas that lie 9,000 light years away from Earth, in the southern Milky Way.

This infrared view of NGC 3603 (left) and NGC 3576 (right) peers through the dust in these nebulas to reveal details hidden in optical images from other ESO observatories.

Sharing this picture, ESO wrote in a post, "Inside these extended clouds of dust and gas, new stars are born, gradually changing the shapes of the nebulas via intense radiation and powerful winds of charged particles. Given their proximity, astronomers have the opportunity to study the intense star formation process that is as common in other galaxies but harder to observe due to the vast distances."

1/ This Picture of the Week shows an infrared view of two stellar nurseries, NGC 3603/3576, taken with ESO's VISTA telescope. This infrared image peers through the dust in these nebulas, revealing details hidden in optical images🔗 https://t.co/yr5X6b5vTzCredit: @ESO /VVVX pic.twitter.com/aZgm1K0ogH

— ESO (@ESO) November 7, 2022

VISTA, part of ESO's Paranal Observatory, works at near-infrared wavelengths and is the world’s largest survey telescope. The near-infrared survey telescope is housed on the peak adjacent to the one hosting the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT).