NGC 6302

NGC 6302 is a bipolar planetary nebula in Scorpius, commonly called the Bug Nebula or Butterfly Nebula. Its twin lobes surround a dense, dusty waist.

Planetary nebula: An expanding shell of ionized gas shed by a low- or intermediate-mass star near the end of its life. NGC 6302 is a particularly complex example of this late stellar phase.
Asymptotic giant branch: A late stage in the evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars, marked by a cool, luminous envelope and strong mass loss. The nebula’s progenitor shed much of its envelope during this phase.
Central star of NGC 6302: The hot stellar remnant at the center of the planetary nebula NGC 6302. Its intense radiation powers the nebula’s emission, although dust makes it difficult to observe.
Ring Nebula: A planetary nebula in Lyra, catalogued as Messier 57, with a prominent ring-like appearance. Its nearly ring-shaped appearance contrasts with NGC 6302’s elongated bipolar lobes.
Bipolar nebula: An astronomical nebula with two opposing lobes extending from a central waist or region. Its two prominent lobes give NGC 6302 its butterfly-like outline.
White dwarf: A compact stellar remnant supported against gravity by electron degeneracy pressure. The exposed remnant at the nebula’s center is evolving toward a white dwarf.
Dust lane: An elongated concentration of dust that obscures light from objects behind it. A dense equatorial dust region separates the nebula’s opposing lobes.
Helix Nebula: A nearby planetary nebula in Aquarius, catalogued as NGC 7293. Its broad, roughly circular structure differs from NGC 6302’s pronounced waist and twin lobes.
Stellar wind: A stream of charged particles flowing outward from a star. Fast stellar outflows help shape the nebula’s expanding lobes.
Circumstellar envelope: Gas and dust surrounding a star, often expelled by the star itself. The nebula consists of material expelled around its progenitor before and during its transformation.

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NGC 7027Compared with: Its conspicuous bipolar lobes offer a contrast to NGC 7027's compact, obscured form.