Telescope in Chile captures stunning new picture of a cosmic butterfly

A Chilean telescope has captured a stunning new image of the Butterfly Nebula, a grand and graceful cosmic wonder. The National Science Foundation’s NoirLab released the photo Wednesday. Photographed last month by the Gemini South telescope, the aptly named Butterfly Nebula lies 2,500 to 3,800 light years away. At the heart of this bipolar nebula is a white dwarf star that shed its outer layers of gas long ago. The released gas forms the butterfly-shaped wings that rise from the aging star. Chilean schoolchildren chose this astronomical target to celebrate the 25 years of activity of the International Gemini Observatory.