The Butterfly Nebula (M2-9)
This is one of at least two nebulae that are known as the Butterfly Nebula.
NASA image, 17 December 1997
Credit: NASA/ESA
Facts About The Butterfly Nebula (M2-9):
- 2,100 light-years away.
- The primary component of this binary is the hot core of a star that reached the end of its main-sequence life cycle, ejected most of its outer layers and became a red giant, and is now contracting into a white dwarf.
Classification: Nebula, Planetary
Names: Planetary nebula M2-9, Butterfly Nebula, Minkowski's Butterfly, Twin Jet Nebula
Constellation: OphiuchusDistance: 1.99e+16 km (2100 ly)
Discovered: 1947 by Rudolph Minkowski