by yaska77
The bright clusters and nebulae of our night sky are often named after insects or flowers, and NGC 6302 is no exception!
What a massive wingspan! The Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302) as imaged from Hubble in 2009 (click to enlarge) - Credit: NASA/ESA & Hubble SM4 ERO Team
With an estimated surface temperature of around 250,000°C, the central star of this particular planetary nebula is exceptionally hot, though its bright ultraviolet light is hidden from view by a dense ring of dust.
This amazingly detailed close-up image of the dying star’s nebula was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope soon after its upgrade in 2009.
This “Butterfly Nebula” lies about 4,000 light-years away in the constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion).
Utterly beautiful and totally awesome 
Source: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (13th November)
