Nebulas are star factories. The dense cloud of cosmic dust and gas is the perfect breeding ground for new, bright stars, some of which can be seen near the top of the cloud in the picture above.
The Cone Nebula's shape is due to a star at the tip of the nebula blasting away the gas and dust as it is formed, compressing the dust into a dense pillar-like shape, per an accompanying press release.
Advertisement
At about 2,500 light-years from Earth, the Cone Nebula is relatively close to us, which makes it easy to observe.
To find the Cone Nebula, scientists turned their telescope towards the Monoceros (unicorn) constellation, about halfway between the Betelgeuse and Procyon stars.
The unicorn constellation is visible in the winter sky from the Northern Hemisphere.
The ESO's Very Large Telescope is one of the largest telescopes in the world.
{{}}
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.