NGC 246 is a planetary nebula – an expanding shell of ionised gas that is ejected from red giant stars in the last throes of their lives. This one is in the southern constellation of Cetus about 1,670 light years away, and it’s known as the Skull Nebula.
The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope has captured it in all its pink and red glory using the FORS2 instrument. It consists of a couple of closely bound stars, which can be seen at the centre, and is orbited by a third outer star.