'Very Large' view of the Saturn Nebula

The Very Large Telescope (VLT)'s MUSE instrument has imaged the stunning Saturn Nebula, also known as NGC 7009, in unrivalled detail and mapping the dust inside a planetary nebula for the first time.

This aesthetically pleasing display of colourful gas and dust is the result of a star reaching the end of its life. Its central star is a very hot bluish dwarf with a temperature of 55,000 K, while its overall structure includes a halo, jet-like streams, multiple shells, handles and small-scale filaments and knots.