February - Very Large Telescope image of the planetary nebula NGC 2899

This image of the fantastic planetary nebula NGC 2899 was captured using the FORS instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in northern Chile. Located 6500 light-years away, this object has never before been imaged in such striking detail, with even the faint outer edges of the nebula — a shell of gas expanding from a giant star at the end of its life — glowing over the background stars.