This amazing image of a nebula in the deep reaches of space has stunned astronomers.

The image of the Cone Nebula was released by the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

The picture was taken by the ESO’s Very Large Telescope to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

The Cone Nebula is part of a larger complex 2,500 light-years away. It’s known as NGC 2264 in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn).

This particular nebula looks different from some you may have seen. It’s not glowing with colours from interstellar gas but instead is made up of thick dust that absorbs visible light.

It gives the Cone Nebula the appearance of a dark cosmic sentinel watching silently over the stars around it.

‘Its pillar-like appearance is a perfect example of the shapes that can develop in giant clouds of cold molecular gas and dust, known for creating new stars,’ the ESO said in a caption accompanying the picture.

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