Sh2-46 Nebula & Bright Star HD 165319 in Serpens | ESO VLT Survey Telescope
In space, not everything is what it seems. This picture shows the nebula Sh2-46, also named Gum 80, situated roughly 6,000 light-years away. The strong red hues of Sh2-46 might be beautiful, but they hide an "impostor".
The big blue-white star at the center of the image is HD 165319, an O type star, one of the brightest, but rarest types of stars in the Universe. The star is largely responsible for the striking red tones around it, caused by the ionization of the hydrogen atoms that make up the nebula. This star, however, should not be here.
Astronomers think that this star was born somewhere else: in the nearby Eagle Nebula. Located in the tail section of the Serpens constellation (the snake), the Eagle Nebula is full of star-forming regions. Once born, these stars become bound by gravity, creating a giant open cluster. Sometimes, though, a few of them become disentangled, embarking on a solitary mission through space that can lead them to infiltrate other unrelated nebulae. A bow shock next to HD 165319 seems to indicate that the star is currently plunging through Sh2-46. Perhaps this nebula will end up looking differently if the star ends up leaving it behind…
Image Description: The image shows a giant red nebula in space. Behind the nebula there are countless stars of different colors and sizes. Most stars are small and have a white to pale blue hue. Overall, the nebula is round and appears to change from diffuse to concentrated towards the center of the picture. Its color also changes from a dark red to a vibrant orange. Within the center of the picture, inside the brightest region of the nebula, lies a large, white to pale blue star.
This highly detailed picture of Sh2-46 was taken by the VLT Survey Telescope (VST). It explores the sky in visible light. Currently owned by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), the VST is located at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory, in Chile.
Release Date: May 5, 2025
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