Survey telescope captures stunning image of Gum 3 nebula that appears as a 'Koi Fish' in space

A Gum 3 nebula, 3,600 light-years from Earth has been located by The European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VLT Survey Telescope (VST). The Gum 3 nebula appears as a fish in the space.

The breathtaking images captured by the telescope have gained significant attention in the eyes of the public. The Gum 3 nebula shines bright with tones of pink, red and maroon amazing one and all. It has taken the shape of a koi fish and appears as if the fish is swimming in space!

What is a nebula?

A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust and gas that acts as a nursery for new stars.

Officials at the European Southern Observatory have explained that when the ultraviolet radiation from stars hits the cloud it emits light of colours such as red, pink, etc that astonishes many.

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Another reason for the nebulato look so spectacular is the reflection of light, especially blue that takes place within the clouds. This is very similar to the reason behind the sky appearing blue.

Gum 3 nebula is lit up by young stars that release intense radiationcausingthe interstellar gas to sparkle and generate fascinating patterns and shapes. This is why the nebula looks like a goldfish.

Details of the instrument that captured this phenomenon

The images were captured using the OmegaCAM which is present at the Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. It is equipped with 12 different broadband filters that help astronomers observe a wide range of cosmic objects. The telescope is designed in a way that allows the survey of the southern sky and takes images of unique phenomena like the Gum 3 nebula.
(With inputs from agencies)