APR 15, 2015

From Hubble, the Butterfly Nebula

WRITTEN BY: Andrew J. Dunlop


"The Butterfly Nebula shows what happens to a star at the end of its life, when it loses all of its gas and dust to its surroundings. Not only is this a reminder to the eventual fate of our own Sun and Solar System, but Hubble's unique ability to witness this event in a star's long life cycle sheds light on how stars evolve."
- Jason Kalirai, project scientist, James Webb Space Telescope, Space Telescope Science Institute