Tarantula Nebula

The Tarantula nebula (top centre) is surrounded by a web of filaments containing the well-studied supernova SN 1987A, 168,000 light years from Earth.

It was discovered by Ian Shelton and Oscar Duhalde at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile on 24 February 1987, and independently by Albert Jones in New Zealand within 24 hours.

Several other nebulae are coloured red, and the cluster of young stars on the left is called NGC 2100.

(Image: ESO)