A Pink Speckle in the Southern Sky over The Paranal Observatory in Chile | ESO

A Pink Speckle in the Southern Sky over The Paranal Observatory in Chile | ESO

This image shows the band of light from the Milky Way galaxy seemingly pouring into a telescope, right below the center of the image. Within the Milky Way right above the telescope, the Carina Nebula is visible as a pink spot. It marks the very center and focus of the image. Additionally, one of the Magellanic Clouds is visible in the left side of the picture right above the horizon.

This picture showcases the mesmerizing dark sky above the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The sky in the southern hemisphere is home to unique jewels like the Magellanic Clouds and one particularly special eye-catcher in this image—the Carina Nebula, a massive star-forming region visible here as a big pink spot right above one of the four Auxiliary Telescopes of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). 

This sight was a unique one for the French photographer Julien Looten, who captured the image. “It was an unforgettable moment,“ he said about finally seeing the Carina Nebula with his own eyes, as such a view is not possible from the northern hemisphere. However, Paranal’s location in the southern hemisphere and its uniquely dark skies make it possible to capture this breathtaking view. 

This nebula is home to Eta Carinae, a pair of massive short-lived stars that are shedding off large amounts of material. The structure of this cloud has been studied in detail with the VLT Interferometer, by linking together three Auxiliary Telescopes like the one in this image to create a huge “virtual” telescope.

Credit: J. Looten/ESO
Release Date: October 20, 2025

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