Zooming in on Nova Centauri 2013

This video sequence starts from a wide field view of the Milky Way and closes in on the bright and famous pair of stars Alpha and Beta Centauri. Nova Centauri 2013 exploded close to Beta Centauri in the sky in late 2013 and careful study of the light from this star has revealed the first traces of the element lithium ever found in a nova. The final image in the zoom is a closeup of the nova taken using the New Technology Telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in July 2015. The nova is the brightest star close to the centre of the picture and is much fainter than it was at maximum light, when it could be seen with the naked eye.
More information and download options: www.eso.org/public/videos/eso1...
Credit: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/N. Risinger (skysurvey.org)
Music: Johan B. Monell (www.johanmonell.com).

[@bilaltirmazi]

Thank you so much for this. In just few seconds of zooming into the space, looking at so many wonders on the way. The never ending space. Love from Pakistan and more power to your work.

[@NoEgg4u]

Imagine how much more we will see with the James Webb telescope.

[@provocativirginian33]

Wow 35 seconds in is like entering a whole new star system

[@undeadsnowman4014]

Just think somewhere out there in that vast sea of stars is an alien taking a dump

[@adonistopofmen2571]

Great images ...

[@sedition4267]

Any time I start to feel cocky about something, I watch an ESO video to remind me just how insignificant I really am.

[@rachkate76]

Yeah sure you do

[@sedition4267]

@@rachkate76 Smart ass much?

[@AriaHarmony]

Stars like glittering grains of sand

[@lapsy9496]

Sublime !

[@marcusmcbee3356]

I don’t understand how we are able to see that far. My brain can’t comprehend it.

[@mandelorean6243]

Uh, yeah, definitely some "life" out there. Just what type, people don't think outside the box enough with that.

[@CUXOB2]

If you were looking at an actual picture of two sun-sized stars 4 lightyears apart (but at the same, arbitrary distance from us), and they were exaclty the size of one pixel on a 1k resolution monitor (thus "visible" at all), they would be 27000 monitors (13 km) apart. So all of these are some kind of light glares which probably depend on their brightness, but have nothing to do with their size.

[@starpawsy]

Correct. A combination of atmospheric "seeing" and diffraction due to the wave nature of light means that there is no way of accurately seeing the extremely small disk of the star.

[@davidripley2916]

I ❤ the Astro community! ⭐🔭📡⚠️

[@jouk3338]

Wow 😮❤

[@eyesyc]

Unbelievable!

[@starpawsy]

I saw it. As in, I saw the real thing at the time.

[@sajjadkhosroshahi9985]

Time.. Cristofer Nolan

[@nathanalexanderguess25]

music?

[@FFFadeToBlackKK]

MaşaALLAH.

[@nikofrey4107]

WHAT

[@mertyilmazer3652]

Dog

[@beast2984]

YOU ARE SIMPLY DOPE❤

[@bradleyshimels3253]

How to start doing art .and get pai big bucks

[@nicolasenriquezapataagramo9213]

When You was died, You ser these video in real imágenes.

[@mclovin4138]

What?

[@bhaweshthapa4672]

@@mclovin4138 lul