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
Experts who once backed 'shaken baby' science now fight to free imprisoned caregivers - 2Italy's Beloved Trevi Fountain Hides A Unique Secret That Can Be Explored Underground
- 3Exposure to neighborhood violence leads some Denver teens to use tobacco and alcohol earlier, new study shows
- 4Kona SUV: Exploring the Future with Hyundai's Visionary Hybrid
- 5Pick Your #1 game to observe
- Fundamental Home Items Each Animal person Needs
- Why screening for the deadliest cancer in the U.S. misses most cases
- Aspirin can prevent a serious pregnancy complication — but too few women get it, new report suggests
- This Week In Space podcast: Episode 186 — Snow on the Moon?
- The gay hockey show no one saw coming — and everyone is suddenly obsessed with
- Strength training is crucial after menopause. How to make the most of your workouts
- Select Your Go-To Bluetooth Earphones
- Why do people get headaches and migraines? A child neurologist explains the science of head pain and how to treat it
- Vote in favor of the bloom plan that adds a bit of excellence to your life!
