VLT/SPHERE image of the star L2 Puppis and its surroundings
Some of the sharpest images ever made with ESO’s Very Large Telescope have for the first time revealed what appears to be an ageing star in the early stages of forming a butterfly-like planetary nebula. These observations of the red giant star L2 Puppis from the ZIMPOL mode of the newly installed SPHERE instrument also reveal a close companion. The dying stages of the lives of stars continue to pose many riddles for astronomers.
Credit:ESO/P. Kervella
About the Image
| Id: | eso1523a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 10 June 2015, 12:00 |
| Related releases: | eso1523 |
| Size: | 1104 x 1104 px |
About the Object
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 7 13 32.32 |
| Position (Dec): | -44° 38' 23.07" |
| Field of view: | 0.01 x 0.01 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 0.0° left of vertical |
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical V | 554 nm | Very Large Telescope SPHERE |
| Optical R | 646 nm | Very Large Telescope SPHERE |
| Optical V | 554 nm | Very Large Telescope SPHERE |
| Optical R | 646 nm | Very Large Telescope SPHERE |