November - Gems of the southern sky

A majestic view of part of the southern Milky Way, with the Southern Cross (Crux) constellation, symbol of ESO, taking centre stage. On the left, the brightest stars of Centaurus can be seen, including Alpha Centauri, a system comprising the closest stars to our Sun. To the right of the image is the Carina Nebula, home to Eta Carinae, currently the most massive star that can be studied in great detail.