                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2022 November 21
   The featured image shows the Butterfly Nebula as imaged by Hubble. The
    nebula appears very colorful due to a expansive color map used by the
     digitizing processor. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                      The Butterfly Nebula from Hubble
        Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing: William Ostling

   Explanation: Stars can make beautiful patterns as they age -- sometimes
   similar to flowers or insects. NGC 6302, the Butterfly Nebula, is a
   notable example. Though its gaseous wingspan covers over 3 light-years
   and its estimated surface temperature exceeds 200,000 degrees C, the
   aging central star of NGC 6302, the featured planetary nebula, has
   become exceptionally hot, shining brightly in visible and ultraviolet
   light but hidden from direct view by a dense torus of dust. This sharp
   close-up was recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope and is processed
   here to show off remarkable details of the complex planetary nebula,
   highlighting in particular light emitted by oxygen (shown as blue),
   hydrogen (green), and nitrogen (red). NGC 6302 lies about 3,500
   light-years away in the arachnologically correct constellation of the
   Scorpion (Scorpius). Planetary nebulas evolve from outer atmospheres of
   stars like our Sun, but usually fade in about 20,000 years.

                      Tomorrow's picture: double space
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
                NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

