Telescope in Chile captures stunning new picture of a cosmic butterfly

This representation provided by NSF NOIRLab shows NGC 6302, a billowing planetary nebula that resembles a cosmic butterfly. (NSF NOIRLab via AP)

AP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A scope successful Chile has captured a stunning caller representation of a expansive and graceful cosmic butterfly.

The National Science Foundation’s NoirLab released the representation Wednesday.

Snapped past period by the Gemini South telescope, the aptly named Butterfly Nebula is 2,500 to 3,800 light-years distant successful the constellation Scorpius. A azygous light-year is 6 trillion miles.

At the bosom of this bipolar nebula is simply a achromatic dwarf prima that formed speech its outer layers of state agelong ago. The discarded state forms the butterflylike wings billowing from the aging star, whose vigor causes the state to glow.

Schoolchildren successful Chile chose this astronomical people to observe 25 years of cognition by the International Gemini Observatory.

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Nov 26, 2025|Updated Nov 27, 2025 1:35 p.m.