Gum 15 is an emission nebula in the constellation Vela, located about 3,000 light-years from Earth.
It is a region of ionized hydrogen gas, shaped by radiation and winds from young, massive stars.
At its center is HD 74804, a hot O-type star that emits ultraviolet light, causing the surrounding gas to glow.
Spanning roughly 30 light-years, Gum 15 has a structure influenced by interactions between stellar forces, forming bright ridges, dark dust lanes, and areas where new stars may be developing.
Its appearance bears some resemblance to the Trifid Nebula (M20), with dark filaments cutting through glowing gas. It is part of the Gum Nebula, a larger region of ionized gas and dust linked to past supernovae and star formation.
Imaged in HOO RGB on my Planewave CDK 700 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby