A Cosmic Bat in Flight
Hidden in a dark corner of Orion is a spectacular nebula with a spooky nickname – the Cosmic Bat.
ESO's VLT has observed it in more detail than ever before...
...revealing the structure of this dim object.
Located bout 2000 light-years from Earth, the Bat doesn't create any light of its own.
Instead it is a dark cloud of dust illuminated by a cluster of young stars hidden behind it.
Astronomers believe these stars sculpted the nebula's shape with their strong stellar winds...
...creating the winged shape in this image.
Transcribed by ESO, translated by –