The Butterfly Nebula from Upgraded Hubble


The bright clusters and nebulae of planet Earth's night sky are often named for flowers
or insects, and NGC 6302 is no exception. With an estimated surface temperature of
about 250,000 degrees C, the central star of this particular planetary nebula is exceptionally
hot though -- shining brightly in ultraviolet light but hidden from direct view by a dense
torus of dust. Above is a dramatically detailed close-up of the dying star's nebula recorded
by the newly upgraded Hubble Space Telescope. Cutting across a bright cavity of ionized gas,
the dust torus surrounding the central star is in the upper right corner of this view, nearly
edge-on to the line-of-sight. Molecular hydrogen has recently been detected in this hot star's
dusty cosmic shroud. NGC 6302 lies about 4,000 light-years away in the arachnologically
correct constellation Scorpius.

>