Dark Energy Camera captures Chamaeleon I, a star-forming cloud — and it looks like a celestial painting

This captivating cosmic view vividly illustrates the striking interplay between dense, dark interstellar dust and brilliantly luminous reflection nebulae.
PUBLISHED JUN 20, 2025
The beautiful Chamaeleon I star-forming region as seen by the DECam instrument mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (Cover Image Source: NOIRLab | M. Zamani & D. de Martin)
The beautiful Chamaeleon I star-forming region as seen by the DECam instrument mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (Cover Image Source: NOIRLab | M. Zamani & D. de Martin)

The Chamaeleon I dark cloud presents a breathtaking cosmic spectacle, standing out as a true masterpiece within the vastness of the universe. This particular view vividly captures the interplay of dense interstellar dust, appearing as deep black smudges, alongside luminous reflection nebulae. These nebulae are brilliantly lit by the nascent stars forming within this dynamic region, as per the recent article on Space.com



 

Situated approximately 500 light years from Earth, the Chamaeleon Complex, which includes Chamaeleon I, is our solar system's closest stellar nursery. It's an immense cloud of molecular gas where stars are actively being born. This process occurs when frigid pockets of molecular hydrogen gas, under the influence of gravity, contract and condense, eventually collapsing to ignite new stars. 



 

Molecular clouds are frequently laden with dust, to the extent that some sections become entirely opaque to visible light, as vividly demonstrated in this image of Chamaeleon I. This particular view was captured by the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera (DECam), located on the Victor M. Blanco Telescope at the Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. The more luminous areas you observe are reflection nebulae. These are essentially pockets of dust situated near newly forming stars, which brilliantly reflect and scatter the light emanating from these young stellar bodies. 

The Hubble Space Telescope images a star forming in Chamaeleon I, appearing almost like a pair of angel wings (Image Source: NASA)
The Hubble Space Telescope images a star forming in Chamaeleon I, appearing almost like a pair of angel wings (Image Source: NASA)

Chamaeleon I is notable for hosting three specific reflection nebulae. Prominently featured in the center of the image is Cederblad 111, appearing as a bright expanse. Above it, you'll see the smaller Cederblad 110, easily recognizable by its distinctive C-shape. Even further above Cederblad 110 lies the Chamaeleon Infrared Nebula, which offers a glimpse into the active star-forming region through streams of matter ejected from the poles of a young, low-mass star within. In this image, the Chameleon Infrared Nebula exhibits an orange hue. Such outflows are a common characteristic of young stars found within active star-forming regions like Chameleon I. 

The beautiful Chamaeleon I star-forming region as seen by the DECam instrument mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (Cover Image Source: NOIRLab | M. Zamani & D. de Martin)
The beautiful Chamaeleon I star-forming region as seen by the DECam instrument mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (Image Source: NOIRLab | M. Zamani & D. de Martin)

After a molecular cloud fragments and collapses to form a young star, the star grows by pulling in surrounding gas. Sometimes, it ingests too much, expelling the excess as beams of matter from its magnetic poles. One such beam carved out the Chamaeleon Infrared nebula. Other jets from young stars also impact the gas of Chamaeleon I, making it glow as Herbig-Haro objects, visible as small red patches throughout the image, as mentioned by the outlet

To truly grasp the characteristics of Chamaeleon I, it helps to understand its cosmic neighbourhood. Our Sun and solar system are currently traversing a region of space known as the Local Bubble. This area is characterized by a notably sparse and low-density distribution of gas in the interstellar medium. This void was created over the past 20 million years by numerous supernova explosions, whose powerful shockwaves cleared out much of the surrounding molecular gas, leaving behind a less dense "bubble" in space. 

Observations from the ALMA telescope in Chile revealed spinning jets of material (green) ejecting from inside the accretion disk around a young star, similar to the phenomenon that is punching holes in Chamaeleon I (Image Source: ALMA)
Observations from the ALMA telescope in Chile revealed spinning jets of material (green) ejecting from inside the accretion disk around a young star, similar to the phenomenon that is punching holes in Chamaeleon I (Image Source: ALMA)

Interestingly, the Chamaeleon Complex is situated right on the edge of this Local Bubble. Here, the intense supernova shockwaves have compressed its denser gas, effectively triggering the onset of star formation within it. While the Chamaeleon Complex also includes the Chamaeleon II and III dark clouds, these currently exhibit minimal or no active star birth, respectively, remaining largely dark and inert. It appears that Chamaeleon I is where all the stellar artistry is currently unfolding. 

MORE STORIES

Despite the peak, observers will likely see a meager rate of just five meteors per hour because the bright moonlight is expected to wash out all but the most luminous streaks.
1 day ago
Northern lights on October 1 are forecast to be highly visible with a Kp-index of 5, but viewing opportunities will be drastically reduced tomorrow night.
3 days ago
Captured on Saturday, September 20, 2025, from Réunion Island, the extraordinary image shows the two icy bodies in a deceptive 'race.'
4 days ago
The interstellar visitor is currently charted within the constellation Libra, maintaining a distance of roughly 232 million miles from Earth.
4 days ago
While traditionally falling in September, the 2025 Harvest Moon will occur later than usual.
5 days ago
Each of these celestial events is guaranteed to impress both casual and serious sky-watchers.
5 days ago
The event places Ceres in opposition, aligning it directly opposite the Sun from Earth, which provides the best possible conditions for observation.
5 days ago
The Daytime Sextantids meteor shower is uniquely visible during daylight hours because its radiant point is located near the sun within the Sextans constellation.
Sep 25, 2025
Discovered on January 3, Comet Lemmon has been dramatically brightening since mid-August, with its luminosity already surging to six times the initial prediction for its peak.
Sep 25, 2025
The comet's current brightness is measured at magnitude 7.4, which means you'll need binoculars or a small telescope to spot it.
Sep 24, 2025