It is an unusual object with a complex structure and an incredibly hot star at its core. Hubble recently refocused on NGC 6302, known as the Butterfly Nebula, to observe it in a more complete spectrum of light from the near ultraviolet to the near infrared, helping researchers better understand the mechanisms in its colourful wings of gas. It is reported to have a temperature of 200,000 Kelvin and a mass of 0.64 solar masses. Wikipedia ngc 6302 (also known as the Beetle Nebula, Butterfly Nebula or Caldwell 6) is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpio.
Wikipedia Ngc 630 2 (also known as the Beetle Nebula, Butterfly Nebula or Caldwell 6) is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpio. The central star, which is one of the hottest known stars, had escaped detection due to a combination of its high temperature (meaning it shines mainly in the ultraviolet), dusty torus (which absorbs much of the light from the central regions, especially in the ultraviolet) and the star’s bright background.
How hot is NGC 6302?
NGC 6302 (also known as the Beetle Nebula, Butterfly Nebula or Caldwell 6) is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpio. With a temperature of 250,000 degrees Celsius, this dying star is one of the hottest in the galaxy. NGC 6302, also known as the Beetle Nebula or Butterfly Nebula, is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpio. Spectroscopic observations with ground-based telescopes show that the gas is about 36,000 degrees Celsius, which is unusually hot compared to a typical planetary nebula.
NGC 6302 was discovered in 1826 by James Dunlop using a home-made reflecting telescope. The earliest known study of NGC 6302 was by Edward Emerson Barnard, who drew and described it in 1907.
How old is NGC 6302?
Butterfly rises from stellar doom in planetary nebula NGC 6302 This celestial object looks like a delicate butterfly. Researchers have also discovered that the object previously identified as the central star of NGC 6302 is actually a foreground star. The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC), a new camera aboard NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, captured this image of the planetary nebula, which is catalogued as NGC 6302 but is also popularly known as the Beetle Nebula or Butterfly Nebula.
How long does it take to get to the Butterfly Nebula?
The radius of the Butterfly Nebula is 1.50 light years, or in other words, it has a diameter of 3 light years. NGC 6302, also known as the Beetle Nebula or Butterfly Nebula, is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpio. The Butterfly stretches more than two light years, which is about half the distance from the Sun to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri. It would take a spaceship 3 years to travel from one side to the other at the speed of light.
It has a surface temperature of about 222,204°C (400,000 F) and is obscured by dust clouds but shines brightly in the ultraviolet.
Can you see the Butterfly Nebula?
The wings of NGC 6302 are regions of gas heated to more than 36,000 degrees Celsius and hurtling through space at more than 600,000 miles per hour. Although they cannot be seen because of the gas and clouds, there is a star at the centre whose temperature is estimated at 400,000 degrees Celsius. The star’s wings have a temperature of about 36,000 degrees Celsius, which is very hot compared to other planetary nebulae. All planetary nebulae form at the end of the life of an intermediate mass star, about 1-8 solar masses. It has one of the most complex structures ever seen in a planetary nebula and got its name because of its resemblance to a butterfly.
