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Big Bubble
Featured on April 11, 2020
Clouds of gas and dust billow away from an exploded star, forming the Vela Supernova Remnant. It is about 800 light-years away and formed about 11,000 years ago as seen from Earth when a massive star exploded. As seen from Earth the remnant spans about 16 times the diameter of the Moon, but it is so faint that you need a telescope to see it. This image required a long exposure with a large telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile. [ESO/J. Pérez]