CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A telescope in Chile has captured a stunning new picture of a grand and graceful cosmic butterfly.
The National Science Foundation’s NoirLab released the picture Wednesday.
Snapped last month by the Gemini South telescope, the aptly named Butterfly Nebula is 2,500 to 3,800 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. A single light-year is 6 trillion miles.
At the heart of this bipolar nebula is a white dwarf star that cast aside its outer layers of gas long ago. The discarded gas forms the butterflylike wings billowing from the aging star, whose heat causes the gas to glow.
Schoolchildren in Chile chose this astronomical target to celebrate 25 years of operation by the International Gemini Observatory.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
latest_posts
- 1
Satellites capture aftermath of Ethiopian volcano's 1st eruption in recorded history (images) - 2'Yellowstone' made him a fan favorite. His biggest role isn't the one you see.
- 3Lilly, Novo lock horns in India's obesity drug race
- 4Must-See Attractions in Washington, D.C.
- 5The 15 Most Powerful Forerunners in Business
- Instructions to Back Your Sunlight powered chargers: Tracking down Possible Choices
- A definitive Manual for Choosing Indoor Plants Ideal for Your Space
- China's Normal Ponders: A Visual Excursion
- UN warns civil liberties under threat due to war in Middle East
- How grandchildren are stepping up to fill the caregiver gap
- Toilet rats? Washington health officials warn of possible rodents in sewer systems after floods
- Landon Donovan knew he couldn’t hide his hair loss. So he turned to fans for help.
- Which Film Has the Incomparable Melodic Score?
- Why screening for the deadliest cancer in the U.S. misses most cases
