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.