Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What lies behind this chaotic extravaganza? This video takes you on a journey across the star cluster RCW 38, located 5500 light-years from us. Across this stunning landscape we see clouds of dust and gas, as well as countless stars. Behind this colourful view, though, lie active star-forming regions. Many of these regions would normally be invisible to optical telescopes, because dark clouds of gas prevent that type of light from reaching us. But ESO’s VISTA telescope and its VIRCAM camera observe infrared light, and can peer through this barrier, giving astronomers an unprecedented view of the phenomena ‘cooking’ inside this young star cluster.
For more details, check eso2503 (eso.org/public/news/eso2503/)
Credit:
ESO
Images: ESO/VVV, eso.org/public/news/eso2503
Music: Mylonite – Champ Magnétique (Intro), Mylonite – Power
Script: J. C. Muñoz
Editing: M. Wallner
What lies behind this chaotic extravaganza? This video takes you on a journey across the star cluster RCW 38, located 5500 light-years from us. Across this stunning landscape we see clouds of dust and gas, as well as countless stars. Behind this colourful view, though, lie active star-forming regions. Many of these regions would normally be invisible to optical telescopes, because dark clouds of gas prevent that type of light from reaching us. But ESO’s VISTA telescope and its VIRCAM camera observe infrared light, and can peer through this barrier, giving astronomers an unprecedented view of the phenomena ‘cooking’ inside this young star cluster.
For more details, check eso2503 (eso.org/public/news/eso2503/)
Credit:
ESO
Images: ESO/VVV, eso.org/public/news/eso2503
Music: Mylonite – Champ Magnétique (Intro), Mylonite – Power
Script: J. C. Muñoz
Editing: M. Wallner
