Carina Nebula Like You've Never Seen It Before

Every single image I've seen that was released by the awesome team behind the Very Large Telescope (VLT) has been amazing, and their latest one isn't any different. In fact, it's the most complex, detailed and precise photo taken of the Carina Nebula in infrared wavelengths.

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) operates the VLT at Cerro Paranal, in Chile. From this vantage point, it can capture absolutely breathtaking images of the Cosmos, as evidenced here.

As expected, Carina reveals a complex and dramatic interplay between hydrogen gas, cosmic dust and young stars, shown here in white-blue. Huge clouds are visible to the right of the image, while the lower-left part shows gas ionized and illuminated by the new stars growing within.

Carina lies only 7,500 light-years away from Earth, and is home to some of the brightest and heaviest stars ever discovered. Therefore, it provides astronomers with an invaluable glimpse into how stellar nurseries work.