Photo of the 'flame nebula' more than 1,300 light-years away

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has released a stunning update of the nebula NGC 2024 in the constellation Orion.

The latest image of the nebula NGC 2024 was released on January 4.

Infrared and radio-processed image - taken by the APEX telescope operated by ESO in Chile's Atacama desert - shows NGC 2024's massive clouds of gas and dust glowing red like a burning fire .

"The nebula contains a young star cluster at its center that emits high-energy radiation, causing the surrounding dust and gas to shine brightly," explains ESO.

Despite being dubbed the "flame nebula", NGC 2024's clouds are in fact very cold, with temperatures only slightly above the "absolute zero" threshold, or O degrees Kelvin (about -273 ,15°C). Much of the glow results when electrons and ionized hydrogen recombine.

The new image also reveals how fast the plumes are moving in NGC 2024, with the red clouds moving away from us faster than the yellow ones.

Located 1,300 - 1,600 light-years from Earth, NGC 2024 is one of the most active "stellar nurseries" in the vicinity of the solar system. X-ray and infrared observations show that the nebula contains hundreds of young stars, of which the youngest are located near the center.