APOD 2.3

The Butterfly Nebula from Hubble (November 13, 2011) 

This photograph was taken by the Hubble Telescope in 2009.  NGC 6302, also known as the butterfly nebula, is about 4,000 light-years away and is located in the constellation Scorpius.  This nebula is extremely hot, burning at about 250,000 degrees Celsius.  Its central star shines in the ultraviolet area of the electromagnetic spectrum, but is hiding from view in thick clouds of dust.
One can see where NGC 6302 gets its name: the clouds of dust that surround the central star branch out into what looks like wings.

APOD 2.2

M82: Starburst Galaxy with a Superwind (October 10, 2011)

The galaxy pictured above is M82, a starburst galaxy known as the Cigar Galaxy for its elongated appearance.  Superwinds from the galaxy's center are pictured above.  The reddish lines that are pictured above are emissions from filaments of hydrogen gas.  These filaments extend over 10,00 light-years  The star formation occurring in M82 because of the close encounter with the bear by M81 galaxy should last for another 100 million years.  That's a long time!

APOD 2.1

MAGIC Star Trails (October 14, 2011)

This photograph shows star trails near the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the Canary island of La Palma.  The telescope is one of many 17meter diameter telescopes in the MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov) telescopes group.  These telescopes capture gamma rays for analysis.
My favorite part of the photograph is that one can see the star trails' reflection on the telescope.  This adds depth and interest to the picture.