A new image reveals the stunning remnants of a giant star, appearing as a pink structure with orange spots. This is all that remains of a massive star that was destroyed in a powerful explosion about 11,000 years ago. The remnants visible in the image, named "Vela," are the size of nine full moons, according to Sky News.
"Vela" is considered one of the closest remnants of "massive star explosions" to Earth, located 800 light-years away. In comparison, the iconic "Pillars of Creation," which were photographed in stunning detail earlier this month, are 6,500 light-years away.
The image of "Vela" was captured by the VLT survey telescope at the Paranal Observatory, operated by the European Southern Observatory in Chile. The telescope's camera has 268 million pixels and can take pictures through several filters to allow light of different colors to pass through.
What is Vela? When the largest stars reach the end of their life, they often end in a massive explosion known as a "supernova." These explosions are so massive that they send shock waves through the surrounding gas, compressing it and creating complex thread-like structures, as seen in the Vela image.
