Today's Amateur Astronomy Photo of the Day:

The Mermaid Nebula, cataloged under the designation G296.5+10.0, is a remnant of a supernova located in the Centaur constellation, in the southern hemisphere.

Unlike planetary nebulae, which result from the end of the life of a moderate mass star, this object is the vestige of the cataclysmic explosion of a massive star. The gas ejected during this explosion interacts with the surrounding interstellar medium, forming complex filaments.

Recent estimates place G296.5+10.0 at about 4,600 light-years, and assign it an age of about 14,000 years. (These values remain estimates)