Dazzling Cosmic Butterfly Captured by Chilean Telescope

A breathtaking new photograph of a celestial butterfly has been captured by a telescope stationed in Chile.

On Wednesday, the National Science Foundation's NoirLab released a striking image of the Butterfly Nebula, recognized for its glowing, expansive 'wings'. Officially known as NGC 6302, it is sometimes referred to as the Bug Nebula or Caldwell 69.

Captured last month using the Gemini South telescope, part of the International Gemini Observatory located on the Cerro Pachón mountain in Central Chile, the Butterfly Nebula is estimated to be between 2,500 and 3,800 light-years away, nestled in the constellation of Scorpius. For context, one light-year approximates 6 trillion miles.

At the center of this bipolar nebula resides a white dwarf star, long past shedding its outer gaseous layers. These released gasses shape the resplendent butterfly 'wings' seen emanating from the aging star, whose heat makes these gases luminescent.

The choice of this astronomical spectacle as a target was made by Chilean students, marking the 25th anniversary of the International Gemini Observatory's operations.

According to NoirLab, the vibrant structure was selected for viewing by students from Chile within the context of the Gemini First Light Anniversary Image Contest. This contest invited students from the regions hosting the Gemini Observatory to engage with its heritage, starting with the First Light event of Gemini South in November 2000.

Information on NGC 6302's exact discovery date is not definitive, NoirLab mentions, though Edward E. Barnard, an American astronomer, often receives credit for his 1907 study. There's speculation that it may have also been discovered by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop back in 1826.