NGC 2170 is a nebula, which is formed by the remnants of gas blown off by a star, located inside a molecular cloud. More specifically it is located at the R2 iregion in the constellation Monoceros, or the unicorn as it is commonly called. Monoceros is a relatively modern constellation formed in 1624 by the German astronomer Jakob Bartsch. This photo of NGC 2170 was taken with the VISTA survey telescope, which is the largest in the world and is located at the ESO obervatory in northern Chile, in infrared since most new stars are hidden by thick interstellar gas that blocks visible and ultraviolet light and the low temperatures and high densities of the molecular clouds display the most visually appealing effects. The tendrils and streamers of the nebula are created from interstellar dust by radiation emmitted from the stars and strong particle winds.
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