CRBC News
Culture
Society
Security
Health
Conflict
Science
Technology
Politics
Environment
Lifestyle
Economy

Stunning 'Cosmic Butterfly' — Gemini South Captures NGC 6302's Glowing Wings

Gemini South has produced a vivid new image of NGC 6302, the Butterfly (or Bug) Nebula, showing glowing, wing-like lobes of expelled gas. The nebula lies about 2,500–3,800 light-years away in Scorpius and is powered by a hot central white dwarf. Chilean students selected this target to celebrate 25 years of the International Gemini Observatory. The image was released by NOIRLab as part of the anniversary outreach.

04:48 AM, 11/28/2025Science
Stunning 'Cosmic Butterfly' — Gemini South Captures NGC 6302's Glowing Wings

A new image captured by the Gemini South telescope reveals a breathtaking view of NGC 6302, the butterfly-shaped nebula also known as the Butterfly or Bug Nebula. The photograph highlights radiant, wing-like lobes of gas that appear to burst outward from the nebula's centre.

Taken last month from Cerro Pachón in central Chile, the shot was obtained with the observatory's 8.1-meter Gemini South telescope. NGC 6302 lies in the constellation Scorpius at an estimated distance of roughly 2,500 to 3,800 light-years from Earth (one light-year is about 6 trillion miles).

At the heart of this striking bipolar nebula is a white dwarf — the hot, dense remnant of a star that long ago shed its outer layers. Those expelled gases now form the dramatic, wing-like lobes; intense ultraviolet radiation from the central star excites the material, causing it to glow in visible light.

Students in Chile selected NGC 6302 as an observational target to mark the 25th anniversary of the International Gemini Observatory's operations. The image was released by NOIRLab as part of the celebration and educational outreach tied to the observatory's legacy.

"This picturesque object was chosen as a target for the 8.1-meter telescope by students in Chile as part of the Gemini First Light Anniversary Image Contest," NOIRLab said. "The contest engaged students in the host locations of the Gemini telescopes to celebrate the legacy that the International Gemini Observatory has built since its completion, marked by Gemini South's First Light in November 2000."

Historical records are not definitive about the nebula's discovery. A 1907 study by American astronomer Edward E. Barnard is often cited, though some accounts suggest Scottish astronomer James Dunlop may have observed it as early as 1826.

This new image not only showcases the dramatic beauty of a dying star's final stages but also highlights the value of public engagement and student-led projects in modern astronomy.

Similar Articles

Trending