This richly detailed new view from the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile shows the star formation region Gum 15. This little-known object is located in the constellation of Vela (The Sails), some 3000 light-years from Earth. The glowing cloud is a stunning example of an HII region. It also has a similarity to a more famous HII region, the Trifid Nebula (Messier 20).
Image credit: ESO
Note: For more information, see A Stellar Womb Shaped and Destroyed by its Ungrateful Offspring.
