Astronomers have uncovered a nearby spiral galaxy blazing with millions of colors in dazzling splendor.

On Wednesday, a telescope in Chile released a breathtaking panoramic image of the Sculptor Galaxy, so rich in detail it resembles a star-studded map.

Scientists used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to observe the galaxy for about 50 hours, stitching together more than 100 images to create this final photo. The image spans 65,000 light-years, nearly covering the entire galaxy. One light-year equals 5.8 trillion miles.

The Sculptor Galaxy (officially designated NGC 253) is considered a starburst galaxy with intense stellar activity. Located in the southern constellation Sculptor, it lies 11 million light-years from Earth and is easily visible with binoculars or small telescopes.

"The Sculptor Galaxy is in an ideal position," said Enrico Congiu from the observatory, who led the study, in a statement. "It's close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its components in incredible detail, yet large enough that we can still see it as a complete system."

Scientists note that the richer the colors of stars, gas, and dust in a galaxy, the more clues they provide about their age, composition, and motion. The latest snapshot from the "Sculptor" contains thousands of colors—a gorgeous halo woven from purple, pink, and yellow—compared to just a handful in traditional images.

The team has already identified 500 planetary nebulae, clouds of gas and dust from dying stars that serve as cosmic milestones. Their findings have been accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics.