Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 23, 1997 is “M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula,” an image. It is credited to Credit: B. Balick (U. Washington) et al., WFPC2, HST, NASA. The original explanation runs about 140 words.

M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
Credit: B. Balick (U. Washington) et al., WFPC2, HST, NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Are stars better appreciated for their art after they die? Actually, stars usually create their most artistic displays as they die.”

— APOD editors, December 23, 1997

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
December 23, 1997
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: B. Balick (U. Washington) et al., WFPC2, HST, NASA
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 140 words

All of December 1997 → · 1997 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: December 23 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.