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Gemini Telescope Captures Stunning Butterfly Nebula Image

11/27/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The National Science Foundation’s NoirLab released an image of the Butterfly Nebula last month, taken by the Gemini South telescope and located 2,500 to 3,800 light-years away in Scorpius.
The nebula features a white dwarf at its center that has shed its outer gas layers, creating wings from the star's heat.
The release marks 25 years of the International Gemini Observatory, and Chilean schoolchildren selected the target for the photograph.

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Story summary

The National Science Foundation’s NoirLab released an image of the Butterfly Nebula last month, taken by the Gemini South telescope and located 2,500 to 3,800 light-years away in Scorpius.
The nebula features a white dwarf at its center that has shed its outer gas layers, creating wings from the star's heat.
The release marks 25 years of the International Gemini Observatory, and Chilean schoolchildren selected the target for the photograph.