Alves 2, also known as the Devil’s Mountain Nebula, is a small and rarely imaged nebular complex where cold interstellar dust meets newly energized gas. At its heart lies a compact blue reflection region, created as nearby stars scatter their light off microscopic dust grains, while the deeper red structures trace hydrogen gas glowing under stellar radiation. These contrasting colors reveal an active environment shaped by both illumination and ionization, offering a close-up look at how young stars interact with their natal clouds. Surrounding the core, faint brown and crimson dust lanes weave through the field, hinting at a much larger molecular structure extending beyond the bright central region.
Captured on January 13, 2026 from Sannicola in southern Italy, this image highlights the delicate balance between darkness and light inside our Milky Way. The rich background star field adds depth and scale, emphasizing how compact Alves 2 is compared to the vast tapestry of dust and gas around it. Subtle gradients in the surrounding clouds suggest ongoing evolution, where gravity, radiation, and turbulence continue to sculpt this remote pocket of the interstellar medium into future generations of stars.
Alves 2, also known as the Devil’s Mountain Nebula, is a small and rarely imaged nebular complex where cold interstellar dust meets newly energized gas. At its heart lies a compact blue reflection region, created as nearby stars scatter their light off microscopic dust grains, while the deeper red structures trace hydrogen gas glowing under stellar radiation. These contrasting colors reveal an active environment shaped by both illumination and ionization, offering a close-up look at how young stars interact with their natal clouds. Surrounding the core, faint brown and crimson dust lanes weave through the field, hinting at a much larger molecular structure extending beyond the bright central region.
Captured on January 13, 2026 from Sannicola in southern Italy, this image highlights the delicate balance between darkness and light inside our Milky Way. The rich background star field adds depth and scale, emphasizing how compact Alves 2 is compared to the vast tapestry of dust and gas around it. Subtle gradients in the surrounding clouds suggest ongoing evolution, where gravity, radiation, and turbulence continue to sculpt this remote pocket of the interstellar medium into future generations of stars.