This turbulent region around the ring-shaped nebula DEM L 299 is in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way system.

The picture was released last week.

The pinkish ring structure represents an "interstellar bubble" which was "blown" by supernovae explosions, most probably happening millions of years ago, as massive stars near the center of this structure ended their comparatively short lives in glorious flashes.

The colored rings seen near some of the brighter stars in the field result from light reflections in the telescope optics.

-- SPACE.com Staff

Credit: European Southern Observatory