The Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope reflects the stars at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. (Image credit: J. Rodrigues/ESO)

Stars shine in the vast aluminum dish of the Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) in this photograph captured by astronomer and astrophotographer José Rodrigues during a recent visit to the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile.

What is it?

Rodrigues' image captures "airglow" infusing the night sky over La Silla with a soft orange glow, which is created as sunlight interacts with molecules in the upper atmosphere, according to the University of Lancaster .

The subtle phenomenon can be seen reflected in the 15-meter (49-foot) primary dish of the SEST telescope along with the myriad stars of the Southern Hemisphere, as the dome of the ESO's 3.6-meter telescope looms in the background.

Why is it incredible?

"Despite knowing about its 15-meter diameter beforehand, I was amazed by its size," Rodrigues noted in the ESO image release.…