Butterfly Nebula revealed by Gemini South telescope

NGC 6302. Image: NSF NOIRLab

NGC 6302, more romantically known as the Butterfly Nebula, was chosen by Chilean schoolchildren as the latest subject for observation by the Gemini South telescope there. The resulting image, released by the National Science Foundation’s NoirLab, is the most detailed image of it yet. The nebula is 2,500 to 3,800 light years f…