Hubble Captures the Stunning Butterfly Nebula, NGC 6302
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has delivered another awe-inspiring image, this time revealing the intricate beauty of the Butterfly Nebula, also known as NGC 6302. This celestial spectacle, captured in optical wavelengths, showcases the nebula's vibrant colours and complex structures.
A Cosmic Portrait of the Butterfly
In this stunning view, the 'wings' of the Butterfly Nebula appear clumpy and almost opaque, effectively obscuring most of the background stars. The captivating orange hues that suffuse these wings are a result of ionized nitrogen and hydrogen, while the subtle red accents are from ionized sulfur. The mesmerizing blue tones are attributed to hydrogen atoms.
Unveiling the Nebula's Structure
Hubble's image vividly highlights the bipolar nature of the Butterfly Nebula, illustrating how its two lobes extend in opposite directions, mirroring the outstretched wings of a butterfly. A striking dark band of dusty gas traverses the nebula's center, forming the butterfly's 'body'. This band is, in fact, a torus of gas and dust, viewed from its side, which effectively conceals the nebula's central star. This ancient core, once a Sun-like star, is the source of energy that energizes the nebula, causing it to emit its brilliant glow. Scientists believe this dusty torus might be responsible for the nebula's distinctive insectoid shape by preventing gas from flowing outwards equally in all directions from the star.
Credits
Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, K. Noll, J. Kastner, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)
It's truly magnificent to witness such profound cosmic processes captured with such clarity by the Hubble Space Telescope.
