Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

NGC 2346: A Butterfly-Shaped Planetary Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 28, 2001 is “NGC 2346: A Butterfly-Shaped Planetary Nebula,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Massimo Stiavelli ( STScI ), Inge Heyer ( STScI ) et al., & the Hubble Heritage Team ( AURA / STScI / NASA ). The original explanation runs about 146 words.

NGC 2346: A Butterfly-Shaped Planetary Nebula
Credit: Massimo Stiavelli ( STScI ), Inge Heyer ( STScI ) et al., & the Hubble Heritage Team ( AURA / STScI / NASA ) Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“It may look like a butterfly, but it’s bigger than our Solar System . NGC 2346 is a planetary nebula made of gas and dust that has evolved into a familiar shape .”

— APOD editors, October 28, 2001

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
October 28, 2001
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Massimo Stiavelli ( STScI ), Inge Heyer ( STScI ) et al., & the Hubble Heritage Team ( AURA / STScI / NASA )
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 146 words

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Topics in this entry

The SunNebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

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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.